A Brother's Love
by bbst
Summary: Sebastian and Ciel were demon royalty. One day, Ciel was kidnapped and turned into a human. His brother vows to get him back no matter what. No matter if Ciel wants him to or not... Some OOCness and slight Ciel/Lizzie.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

**A/N: Yay, my first Kuroshitsuji story! I've never written anything like this before, so I hope that I'll do a good job. I'll try to keep everyone in character. Though if Sebastian seems ooc in some parts, I remind you that we don't really know what he's like outside of his butler-persona.**

**Enjoy! And please excuse the fairytale-like opening. Btw, demons age A LOT slower than humans.**

For demons, family bonds usually weren't very tight. As mostly solitary creatures, it was a nuisance to have other people around and have to share food. Most parents actually killed their off-spring in order to preserve resources. Besides, there were enough demons in the world already. But in some cases, having a child was absolutely necessary. Such a case was the royal family.

The king had been on the throne for as long as anyone could remember. He was very strong and wise, but as he became older his cruelty increased. He would send diseases and cause wars in the human world. He would randomly slaughter his own people just to see their blood spill. His wife feared that an enemy might come to destroy him one day, so she decided that they should have a child in order to keep the throne safe. Although the king was loathed the idea of children, he saw sense in her plan. And so they had a son, a beautiful boy with black hair and red eyes. The queen loved him from the start, but when the king looked at him he only saw his good looks and youth. Those traits caused the king to resent his son.

The boy fit the role of "prince" perfectly. As he grew he became more and more handsome. He excelled in his studies, music, and art. He was very wise and he knew what was best for his people. He was so cunning, even the most pious humans would sell their souls to him. All of the women wanted to be with him. By the age of one thousand, he was absolutely perfect. Well, to most people anyway.

His relationship with his father had never been very good. To him, his son was just a constant reminder that he was getting older and weaker. He also saw how the way the people of the kingdom adored him. The king would often berate him, saying that he wasn't worthy to be king, let alone his son. He would humiliate him and often spread rumors about him throughout the castle. If he didn't do something exactly the way the king wanted it, he would have his son beat in public. He would complain about him to the queen until she, too, came to hate him.

Unfortunately for him, he didn't see the way his son would glanced at the throne or the crown enviously. He didn't see how his son's eyes would would at him in a calculating way and the smirk that sometimes appeared on his mouth. You see, the prince was planning on taking his father's throne. He knew that everyone secretly hated his father(including himself). He also knew that many people wanted him as king, and that he had the skills and knowledge to do it. He had built up a secret army and several strategies over the years. He just needed the right moment to strike.

The moment came one night after he returned from a fencing tournament. He was going to his mother's room to tell her how it went. But when he knocked on her door he didn't receive an answer. The queen was usually in her apartments at this time of day, so this was rather odd. After hesitating a moment, he opened the door a bit and looked inside. He immediately wished he hadn't, for he saw his parents in a rather...intimate position. They were sleeping side by side, but it was obvious that they weren't wearing any clothes. The prince took a step back, but the noise caused his father to wake up and see him. The king immediately became furious and shot a bolt of fire at his son. The prince managed to prevent serious harm from coming to his body, but he was still singed badly. As he ran out of the castle he realized that his chance had come. He didn't want to go down in history as a tyrant who stole his father's crown. So his father attacking him like that was the perfect excuse to wage war on him.

He set up his base in a fortress that he secretly built in the mountains. When it became known to everyone what he was doing, many of the people came to support him. With a strong army, cunning mind, and support of his people, the prince was sure to reign victorious. But he didn't realize just how strong the king's army was. Although he was hated, he was still the king, and when there was something he hated, it was destroyed. Their armies were equally matched and fought for months without getting anywhere. Then something happened that would change everything.

The queen had apparently left the castle and was seeking him out. He immediately thought it was a trap since he knew that she had sided with his father, but he allowed her into the fortress anyway. He was shocked when he saw her, because he had never seen her looking so scared and unkempt before. He had also never seen her abdomen so _round_ before. When he questioned her, she revealed that she was pregnant. When the king had found out, he tried to kill her so he wouldn't have another child that would betray him. She managed to escape him and decided that her son was the best person to go to for protection. She would even give him the child if he wanted.

He allowed her to stay for the sole reason that he was curious about his unborn sibling. He had spent many years as an only child and had never thought of having a brother or sister. He also realized that if he raised the child himself, there would be little to no chance of it betraying him one day. The queen was very old, and her second pregnancy was taking its toll on her. She was bedridden for many months after she arrived. The prince only went to visit her to see if her child was still healthy. He kept her in a small, dark, yet heavily guarded room with nothing to do. On occasion, he would have her interrogated to see if she knew any of his father's plans. She was often miserable, which brought a smile to her sadistic son's face. He was never the forgiving type.

On the day she went into labor, he could hear her screams of pain from a mile away. When the child was finally born the prince ordered that it be brought directly to him. It was a baby boy who was almost cherubic in looks(something only royalty could accomplish). He had blue hair and beautiful blue eyes, which was unheard of. Demons usually had either red, yellow, or black eyes. As he looked at his brother, a sudden feeling of warmth came over him. He held the baby close and bent his head down to nuzzle him, which caused the baby to coo and tug on his hair. Suddenly, a doctor came from his mother's room. The doctor told him that the queen was unwell and if she didn't receive the proper medicine-which they didn't have- she would die soon. The prince took another look at his brother before telling the doctor to leave his mother be and walking away. The queen was dead within a few hours.

The prince was surprised to find that he actually loved his brother. He hated his father and he was only on civil terms with his mother. But he actually felt a bond with this angelic looking demon, and he devoted all his spare time to him. He taught his brother to do everything from fighting to music to etiquette. And his brother seemed to like him and no one else. He would be very affectionate with the prince but only showed strained politeness to others. The prince was also happy when he saw the the child's demon mark was located in his eye. This meant that he would become very powerful one day. Powerful enough to help defeat their father.

After fighting for nearly four hundred years, the prince's armies finally gained an edge. The prince decided that this was his chance to finally dispose of his father. After borrowing power from his brother, he led his men to his father's castle. While they fought, the prince sought the king out. It seemed the king had been expecting him though, because he held a large sword and shield. Under normal circumstances, they would be evenly matched. But with the extra power from his brother, the prince managed to, finally, kill his father.

Despite what he thought, not everyone in the kingdom wanted the old king gone. He actually had a secret group that vowed to protect him. They were very angry at the prince for his treachery, so they began to plan their revenge. On the day the prince was to be crowned king, they moved their plan into motion. They managed to lure the younger prince away from the throne room to a more isolated place in the castle. Once there, they performed a spell that would change him into a human with no memories of his demon life. They figured since the older prince got rid of the most important person in their lives, they would get rid of the most important person in his life.

When the new king discovered what had happened, he was beyond angry. He sentenced the group to be tortured by the most sadistic people in the kingdom for the rest of their lives. His rage also created a disease in the human world which killed millions with a few short years. When a demon feels extreme emotions, their dark energy leaks out and causes havoc. He enjoyed taking his pain out on these creatures. He knew what most of them were really like and felt they deserved it.

He vowed that one day he would find his brother and bring him back home. Even if it took the rest of time. Until then, he would be the best king he could be.

**A/N: Long prologue is long. Seriously, I didn't think it would turn out to be this long.**

**And that my children is the story of how Sebastian spread the Black Death. Okay, jk. This is the background for the rest of the story. Next chapter will have the same Ciel and Sebastian we all know and love. And dialogue!**

**Remember, if you have any suggestions or comments to leave a review!**


	2. Assignment

**Disclaimer: Still nutin'**

**A/N: Thanks to the people who reviewed! This story will probably be updated over the weekends or whenever I feel like writing. I debated whether to use Sebastian and Ciel's current names as their demon names or not, but I figured it would be easier to just go with it. **

**Random thought: wouldn't Sebastian be cute as a ferret?**

_The small child ran through the deserted hallways. The few other children in the fortress, who were mainly the offspring of soldiers, were getting on his nerves. They kept trying to get him to play or talk to them. In a realm full of monsters and violence, beauty was very rare. And he just happened to be one of the most beautiful things around. He attracted people like moths to a very bright flame. The fact that he was royalty didn't help much. But he was never much of a people person, and he was afraid that he would end up hurting one of these foolish children that so craved his companionship._

_He stopped and sat on a nearby stone bench in order to catch his breath. For a demon, even a young one, he wasn't as physically strong as he should have been. He closed his eyes and sighed. Though he hated to admit it, this was one of the many reasons he felt inferior to his brother. Sebastian was powerful, smart, handsome, and respected. If he told someone to leave him alone, they scurried away with their tail in between their legs. The child just hoped that he would be like that someday. He was brought out of his musings by someone grabbing him and lifting him into their lap. Not used to being taken by surprise, he struggled until he recognized the face smiling down at him._

"_Did I surprise you, Ciel?" his brother chuckled as he gripped him tighter._

"_Sebastian! Where did you come from?" Ciel asked while resuming his efforts to escape his brother's arms. Even know he knew he was one, he didn't like to be treated like a child, even by Sebastian._

_This only made Sebastian smirk. As much as he loved his little brother, he could never resist the urge to tease him. It always amused him how Ciel could be so small and yet try to act so mature. As his older _

_brother, it was his job to knock his young sibling down a few pegs(or so he told himself)._

"_I came here to find you, of course! How naughty you are, just running off like that. Who knows what could have happened to you," Sebastian replied, only pretending to scold him. They both knew that nobody would dare touch a hair on Ciel's head, lest they wanted Sebastian to personally disembowel them._

_Ciel decided to give up his futile efforts and relaxed against Sebastian. "I came here to get away from those annoying brats you keep forcing upon me," he confessed. "Honestly, I can't seem to get a moment's peace anymore! It's always 'Your Highness, come and play this new game with me!' Or 'Your highness, you look sooo cute in that new outfit!' Sometimes they're parents are even worse. Just the other day at least three ladies pointed out to me how 'charming' and 'beautiful' their daughters are. It's sickening, really."_

"_Hmm, I thought that you might like being around people your age, but apparently I was wrong," the older prince mused as he wound his fingers through the younger's silky hair._

"_Oh please, Sebastian, you should know by now I don't quite enjoy the company of others," Ciel scoffed._

_This time Sebastian's frown was genuine. "You don't even enjoy my company, Ciel?" he asked while nuzzling his cheek against his brother's._

_Ciel sighed and wrapped his arms around Sebastian's torso. "You know very well that your company is the only company I truly enjoy. I don't know what I would do without you."_

"_That's what I thought," Sebastian said with a smirk before pressing a kiss against the child's forehead._

"Young master, it is time to wake up."

Ciel woke with a start. _What a vivid dream that had been! I could have sworn that was real, _he thought. But then his nose wrinkled with disgust. _How degrading, that I should be so intimate with my butler, a __**demon, **__no less. Perhaps I've been more lonely than I thought. _And he might have been, for his thirteenth birthday, and the anniversary of beloved parents' deaths was only a week away. And though he was used to them being gone, he still missed them.

"Young master, is something the matter? You seem to be a bit...detached," his butler inquired before pressing his hand against the earl's forehead. "You're not feeling feverish, are you?"

Ciel smacked his hand away in annoyance. "I'm fine! If I was feeling ill, I would have said something."

The earl could have sworn there was a look of hurt in his butler's eyes before gave him one of his infamous smirks. "But young master, what sort of butler would I be if I didn't even check to make sure that my master was in perfect health?"

Ciel only scowled at him and replied "Just carry on with your duties."

As Sebastian dressed him in a dark blue suit and gave him a cup of his favorite Earl Grey, he informed him of the day's schedule.

"Today, you have a violin lesson with Madame Rodkin. After that, I shall give you your fencing lesson since your instructor is ill. Lady Elizabeth shall be stopping by to have lunch with you. When she finishes her visit, you must start on the latest assignment the queen has given you," he said while handing his master an envelope with the royal crest on it. Though Ciel was very curious about its contents, he made himself open and read it slowly.

_My dear boy,_

_How are you? It seems so long since you have paid me an informal visit. Earl Grey has asked me to tell you that he wishes to test your fencing abilities._

_But I suppose I should get down to business. Lately, there has been a great increase in cult activity in the small village in Bibury. I know what you're thinking, and yes, my sources tell me this may be the same cult that you have been searching for the past few years. I want you to travel to Bibury before the week is out to investigate. If this is the same cult, you have my permission to eradicate it by any means necessary. As always, I put the safety of England in your hands_

_ -Victoria_

"Young master, might I inquire as to what the queen has requested of you?" Sebastian asked.

"The queen," Ciel stated slowly "says that there is suspicious cult activity in Bibury, and I'm to investigate it."

"My lord, is this the same cult that caused us to form our contract?" Sebastian asked, also speaking slowly.

"I don't know. But make preparations to travel there within the next few days," Ciel ordered.

"Why young master, if this is truly the cult, then we may be able to eradicate them on your birthday, it being so soon and all," the butler mused.

"Yes," the little lord replied "Wouldn't that be the sweetest revenge? To destroy their lives on the same day they destroyed mine?"

"How sadistic the young master can be! I'd daresay you were a demon yourself with the way you talk sometimes," Sebastian said in a joking tone.

Ciel only narrowed his eyes. "Don't you dare compare me to one such as yourself."

"Yes, my lord."

**A/N: Yay, first chapter is done! I hope you enjoyed the sebXciel brotherly fluff. I know I did!**

**I was thinking about Yu-gi-oh abridged while typing this, and I almost made Seb say "Card games on motorcycles" at one point. *facepalm* Anyway, PLEASE remember to leave a review! Do you like it, do you not like it, are some of my paragraphs too long, do you want more fluff, any certain things you want to see in the story, come on, give me anything!**


	3. Gift

**Disclaimer: meh**

**A/N: Hi, everybody! Thanks to the people who took the time to review *hands out imaginary plush chainsaws*. Be warned: this chapter will have mild Ciel/Lizzie. Don't worry fangirls, Sebby will still disapprove! Now, on with the story. CUE BATMAN MUSIC!**

"Cieeel~!" a feminine voice cried out.

The boy who was just addressed barely had time to turn his head before he was tackled by a fast moving blur of pink and yellow. Of course, the blur was his cousin and fiancée, Elizabeth, or Lizzie, as she often insisted he call her. Really, he wished that, for just once, she would greet him in a proper manner. But she was very lively and full of energy, and she just couldn't resist giving her cute fiancé a big hug when she saw him. And although she sometimes got on his nerves, he had to admit that it was always a pleasure to see her.

"Lizzie, I'm glad you could join me for lunch today," he said pleasantly while taking her hand.

"Oh, Ciel! It's been sooo long since I've last seen you! I know that you're busy, but you really make time for your future wife!" she said in an only half-serious tone.

"I know, Lizzie, I know. But to make it up to you, I've had Sebastian set up our lunch in the garden. Finnian has managed to grow some lovely winter roses that I know that you will love, and the weather is actually quite agreeable for this time of year." He hid a smile, knowing this romantic gesture would stop her from worrying about him. Well, for awhile, at least.

She was, of course, delighted that her usually stand-offish betrothed could come up with something like this. _Perhaps,_ she thought,_ Ciel might finally be feeling happy again! What I wouldn't give to see him smile again! Especially for me..._ At this last thought, a small blush came across her cheeks. If Ciel noticed, he didn't indicate it.

The garden was beautiful, as promised. Finny had taken great care to ensure that the sterling white roses that his young master favored were in perfect condition(well, after Sebastian fixed it for him...twice.) The table had been set with a clean white cloth and china with a pale pink flower design had been set on it.

"Ciel, these dishes are adorable!" Lizzie gushed as she examined a fragile white and pink saucer.

"Yes, well, I saw the pattern in a catalog and I thought it might suit your taste," Ciel stammered, an embarrassed flush coming across his face. Indeed, he had been thinking of her happiness more and more often these days. His blush deepened as she let out a delighted squeal.

Thankfully, his butler took this moment to make his entrance. "Excuse me, young master, Lady Elizabeth, but your meal is ready. Today we have a savory soup of beef and vegetables, roast turkey with mushroom sauce, a dark chocolate cake, and a fine chardonnay to drink." As he spoke, the butler laid the dishes out and served the nobles their food.

"Why Sebastian, this is delicious like always!" Lizzie exclaimed after taking a few bites.

"I'm not worthy of your praise, my lady," he replied with a slight bow. Ciel sent a small scowl in his direction. For although the demon's words sounded sincere, his master could clearly see the sarcasm in his eyes.

Lizzie suddenly opened her mouth to say something, but shut it just as quickly. When Ciel questioned her about it, she replied "Um, it's just that it's your birthday in a few days. And...I was wanting to throw you a party."

Ciel faltered at this, for he knew he was about to dash her hopes once again. "About that, Lizzie," he said softly, "The queen has given me a new mission that I must start on soon. I must travel to a distant village to investigate some...trouble they've been having. I might not be back in time to celebrate with you." He hated the thought of celebrating that accursed day, but he also hated the thought of her disappointed tears. _Although I should be used to those by now,_he thought somewhat sadly.

To his surprise, Lizzie just gave him a soft yet sad smile. "I thought that this might happen. You always seem to have business at the most random times. So I took the liberty of already purchasing you a present." With that, she drew a small white box from a hidden pocket in her dress and handed it to him.

He was too shocked to move for a moment, but he hesitantly took the tiny parcel from her. Inside the box was a silver locket with his family crest engraved on the front. In awe, he opened it. One side had a picture of them when they were children. They were smiling happily and hugging each other. The other side had writing in French: _Pour mon bien-aime. _

"Lizzie, t-this is wonderful," he stammered, "I'm not sure what to say."

She leaned over to cup his cheek in her hand. " You don't have to say anything. Just make sure to think of me whenever you wear it."

With that, she bent forward to kiss his forehead, never noticing that the demon behind them was eyeing her with distaste.

**Xxxxxx**

Ciel collapsed on his bed, physically and mentally exhausted. After Lizzie had departed to return to her own home, the kitchen had exploded. Apparently Bard had decided that exploding cupcakes would be a nice treat for dessert. After Sebastian chewed him out for "trying to kill their master", he had repaired the kitchen and gave the servants the day off to avoid any further hassle.

Ciel had a lot of paperwork to do since his sales have gone up for the Christmas season. He was interrupted a few times by either the servants causing noise and Lau coming to visit, so after dinner he was ready to retire for the night.

He pulled out his new locket to examine it again. He was still amazed that Lizzie could pick out something so thoughtful. A blush came over him as he translated the French words: _For my beloved._

"She must really care about me," he whispered to himself. He shut the locket and ran his thumb over the front. "But as long as I carry the family name, I could put her in danger. But even so...I don't know if I could bear it if she ever went away. Besides, I'm her fiancé, we're meant to be together. Maybe this locket proves it." He opened it again and stared longingly at the picture of them.

"Excuse me, young master, but it is time to prepare you for bed."

"Gah!" Ciel turned in surprise to see his butler standing by his bed, his ever present smirk across his face. "Sebastian, why didn't you knock before you entered?" the Earl demanded.

"Why young master, I did knock, several times actually. Unfortunately, you were too absorbed in your own thoughts to notice," the butler replied with a slight chuckle. He then noticed what his master held in his hand. "Oh, is that the locket Lady Elizabeth gave to you?" he asked in a seemingly indifferent voice.

"Yes, it is," Ciel replied, "Though I'm genuinely amazed it isn't something either pink or fluffy."

When his butler didn't reply, Ciel turned to look at him. He was standing very stiffly with a blank look on his face. But his eyes revealed what he was feeling: anger, revulsion, disgust, and disappointment.

"Sebastian, is something the matter?" Ciel asked in a warning tone. He would have to punish his butler if he was thinking ill of his betrothed.

"Well, young master," Sebastian replied in a quiet controlled voice, " I just don't think you should be getting attached to gifts from her. Or more accurately, I don't think you should be getting very attached to _her_."

"And why ever not? She's my fiancée, isn't she?" Ciel questioned in an angry tone.

"Young master, you are aware that the end of our contract might be near, aren't you? It would only cause you both pain if you got very close only for you to disappear from her life forever," the butler explained in a more reasoning voice.

Ciel felt a wave of melancholy come over him at his butler's words. "Yes, I...suppose you're right about that, Sebastian. But despite everything, I just want to make her happy as long as I can. I want her to have good memories of me."

Sebastian gave him a small, sad smile. "I know, young master master, I know. But the moon is already high, so let's get you in bed, shall we?"

Ciel sighed and replied "Proceed".

As Sebastian was tucking him in, he asked "Sebastian, you did remember to make our traveling preparations, didn't you?"

"Of course, young master," he replied with a bow, "If I couldn't do something as simple as that, what sort of Phantomhive butler would I be?"

"Alright, be sure to wake me early tomorrow so we can get a head start," Ciel told him as he closed his eyes.

"Goodnight, my lord."

**xxxxxxx**

Sebastian managed to keep himself composed until he reached his room. _That little brat! _he fumed. He wasn't thinking of the boy who he had just left, oh no, never his precious "young master", but of that annoying, shrill-voiced girl who had been a thorn in his side ever since they first met.

"Who the hell does she think she is?," he muttered angrily to himself, "Showing up here with only a few hours notice and then giving Ciel such a trinket? Does she think that she can take my place in his heart? She's just like those damned imbecile servants or those Indians who always impose themselves on us. But no matter, everything will be in order again in a few days."

He walked over the his wardrobe and pulled out the small black box that he kept hidden in it. He opened it and pulled out the treasure inside. It was a small ring with an onyx band with a amethyst gem. The gem had an intricate symbol carved into it. His brother's symbol. He had it made especially for Ciel, and it glowed whenever he was around. It had not done this in a few centuries, but ever since he made his latest contract it had given off its glow constantly.

"We're almost there, my little Ciel," he said as he kissed the ring, "I'll bring you home and we can be a family again. No more of these people who keep trying to steal you from me. Just us, like it used to be."

**XXXXXXXXXXXX**

**A/N: Another chapter down! Before you ask, this isn't yaoi, but Seb is still possessive over Ciel. He's so used to being the only important person in Ciel's life, so he isn't adjusting to Ciel's family and friends well. I hope you liked the Ciel/Lizzie part, even if Seb didn't! And please remember to leave a review. I'm talking to YOU, multiple people who added this to their story alert!**

**See you guys next week!**


	4. Journey

**Disclaimer: Still own nothing. If I did, we would have seen Sebby's true form by now.**

**A/N: You guys are lucky that my internet is down and I was bored enough to start working on this. Thanks to those who reviewed last chapter! I'm glad you liked the Ciel/Lizzie stuff.**

**XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

_Darkness. Confusion. Fright. Sadness._

_These were what he was feeling at the moment. As soon as he had walked into the room, a strong force seemed to root him in place. He couldn't move or speak at all. The young boy was terrified. There were several people in black robes(one was the girl who had led him away) who were swiftly chanting strange words under their breaths. They had arranged it so he was standing in the middle of a huge purple symbol and they were surrounding him. And worst of all, he knew in his heart that his brother wasn't coming to save him._

_Oh, why hadn't he listened to Sebastian? He had told the boy several times to stay as close to him as possible. The boy had scoffed at this, because that meant he would practically be sitting in his lap for the entire ceremony. Really, the older prince should have known that he couldn't be crowned king with his little brother right on top of him. After Ciel had pointed this out, Sebastian said that he could stand with the rest of the crowd if he kept a guard close by him. _

_He had been glad to hear this. Although he loved his brother, he had recently been thinking that he was far too clingy. He always arranged it so Ciel was with him as often as possible, he taught him most of his lessons, and he scared away the few people that Ciel actually liked. When the boy complained, Sebastian merely told him that he didn't need anybody else, that brothers had to stick together. But still, he was getting desperate to have some alone time and make his own decisions._

_When he was standing in the crowd, something caught his eye. A young girl was looking at him from the back of the room. When she noticed that he was aware of her, her face split into a bright smile and she beckoned him with one hand, her emerald green eyes enticing him. In that moment, something came over him. He didn't care that it might be dangerous, that he had never seen this girl before in his life, or that he was going to miss his brother's coronation,he just knew that he had to follow her. He quickly teleported to her side and grabbed her hand. She let out a small, girlish giggle and led him out into the hallway. She gazed intensely into his eyes, for that was how she worked her powers, slipped his treasured ring off his finger and put it into her pocket._

_She then gripped his hand tighter and started running, tugging him along. He didn't know in which direction they were headed, or how long they ran for, but he was aware of the exhilarating feeling of freedom, from both the running and being on his own. The girl eventually led him to a stone door, although he didn't recall ever entering a building. After knocking hard three times, the door opened and she led him in._

_And that was how he ended up in his current predicament. He cursed himself, for he knew that this was his own fault. Why did he have to insist on acting so grown-up? He knew perfectly well how dependent he was on Sebastian's protection. Hell, he wouldn't even be alive if not for Sebastian! _

_Suddenly, a terrible dizziness came over him. He stumbled and fell onto the floor. As he did,his mind started to fog. A dense, heavy fog that took away his name, his life, his brother. Before the darkness took him completely, he managed to whisper one thing._

"_Sebastian..."_

**XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

The earl slumped against the side of the carriage. He had another one of those damned dreams last. It had caused him to wake up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat. He had lain awake for hours afterward trying to decipher it meaning. Darkness? Cloaks? Sebastian? He eventually wrote it off as his childhood trauma coming back to haunt him. _Hopefully, I'll never have another nightmare again after this mission_, he thought. By the time he had calmed down enough to go back to sleep, his butler had come in to prepare him for the day.

He had complained. "I'm still tired, Sebastian. Let me sleep longer."

"Young master, this is quite childish of you. You do remember that you told me to wake you early so that we could get a head start, do you not? Now, please get up so that I may dress you," he heard Sebastian press.

"Young master?" Sebastian continued to press in a firmer voice.

When the boy didn't stir, Sebastian flung his blanket back and scooped him into his arms.

"Perhaps a bath shall serve to revive you," he mused, and before Ciel knew it, he was dunked into a tub full of cold water. He resurfaced shivering and angry. When he shot Sebastian a deadly glare, he merely smirked and dipped his hand in the water, which made it instantly warm. Ciel decided he was too tired to argue, so he relaxed and allowed Sebastian to bathe him.

"Young master, if I may so inquire, why are you so tired this morning? You're usually very energetic when so set out on a mission," Sebastian asked while scrubbing his back.

"Let's just say I had a rather...odd dream last night. It's nothing to worry about," the young lord replied in a cool voice.

"If it was odd enough to keep the young master awake all night, perhaps he should tell me about it. After all, it helps humans to talk about their problems," Sebastian prompted.

"I said it's nothing! Now hurry up and get me dressed so we can get this damn mission over with!" Ciel snapped. If he had been looking at his butler while he spoke, he would have seen a rather ugly frown come across his face.

"Yes, my lord."

When they had finally departed, Ciel soon feel asleep in the carriage. This time, his dreams were much more pleasant. They were full of his family, tea, brightness, and even the servants. For a moment, he even felt happy. But then a flame started to grow in the field they were standing in, and soon it consumed everything. After waking from the second nightmare in less than a day, he made sure to stay awake.

Since Sebastian was driving, he had only his thoughts for company. They inevitably came back to Lizzie, as they had done so often. He took his new locket out of a hidden vacuity in his jacket. For some reason, he couldn't shake the feeling that he should hide it from Sebastian. As he once again looked at the small picture of Lizzie and himself, he suddenly remembered something odd.

That look Sebastian had in his eyes when he saw his master's gift. Though his explanation for why made sense at the time, Ciel now realized that his butler was holding something back. There was no reason for his butler to have such a look of _hate _in his eyes. He always knew that Sebastian found Lizzie annoying, but perhaps he overestimated the demon's ability to tolerate the green eyed girl's antics. _Hmm...green eyes..._

The carriage came to a sudden halt. The earl had just enough time to shove the locket back into its hiding place before the door opened. Sebastian stood there with his fake-polite smile.

"Young master, we have arrived," he announced.

"Already?" Ciel asked, bewildered. He looked at the sky and saw it was indeed getting late. He must have slept longer than he had thought.

"My lord, I believe it is best to find a place to lodge before we start investigating. After all, this cult is notorious for its night time activities," Sebastian informed him while helping him down.

"Yes," Ciel replied. "I don't think that we will be able to get everything done in one night, but we can at least start investigating. Now, lead us to the best inn this town has to offer."

"Yes, my lord, please follow me. It is not that far off," Sebastian said while picking up his master's luggage. He led them to a spacious hotel and had them in a room a short time afterwards. It was nice room, with blue wallpaper, a spacious bed, two dressers, a closet, and a large bathroom.

"Is the room to your liking, sir?" Sebastian inquired as he unpacked Ciel's luggage.

"Yes, I suppose it's fine," Ciel replied in an indifferent tone. "Now, let's get down to business"

**XxxxxxxxxxxxX**

**A/N: Yeah, that was a bad place to end, but I'm starting to feel kinda sick and I don't feel like writing anymore. Remember to review. If you do, Grell and Sebastian will hot oil wrestle in your backyard!**


	5. Information

**Disclaimer: Still nothing**

**A/N: Thanks to those who reviewed last chapter. And so you know, I am feeling better! These next few chapters will probably be hard for me to write. I don't want to drag out this part of the story for too long, but I also don't want to move at too fast a pace. So I'll just write this for two, maybe, three, chapters.**

**XxxxxxxxxxxX**

"Sebastian, what all do we know about this cult?" Ciel demanded.

Sebastian read from a list of notes he had taken. "Well, as I've previously stated, they usually move at night. They have been spotted gathering in either the woods or an abandoned barn on the outskirts of town, and are said to wear either white or black robes. Ever since they've arrived in this village, a number of people, mostly small children, have disappeared. And...they have a certain symbol." He turned the paper around to show the symbol to his master.

Ciel gasped in shock. That symbol...that accursed symbol... was the same one that was on his back. A cold feeling came over him as he thought over his butler's words. _That symbol...missing children...it's happening all over again..._he thought. He started to shake and felt bile start to rise in his throat.

Sebastian knelt down in front of him clasped his hands. "Young master, I know that this is hard for you, but you must pull yourself together. This is what you've been waiting almost three years for. As soon as we finish this mission, this life will be over for you. And they will be most assuredly burning in the pit."

Ciel took a breath to compose himself before his expression became hard again. "You're quite right, Sebastian. This is my chance to finally cause them the same pain they gave me. And then you can finally have the soul you've hungered for all these years."

Sebastian smirked. "Indeed, my lord."

"Now, enough of this," Ciel declared as he walked over to the window. "Do we know where their current location is?"

"Well, you see, sir, I'm afraid they might have somehow caught wind of us. While you were dozing in the carriage, I took the liberty of questioning the villagers. They said that for these past two nights the cult hasn't been seen. Some people think that they have departed from the village. However, as I was about to return to the carriage, I noticed a few odd looking men standing by the River Coln. They were staring right at me with an apprehensive, yet hungry, look in their eyes. As if they knew exactly what I was," he finished, putting a finger to his chin in thought.

"Wanting a demon to fulfill their desires, eh?" Ciel mused. "Well, too bad for them that this particular demon is mine. Now, how to lure them out? Perhaps we should go undercover. If we claimed we were simply here on vacation, they would still be suspicious. I'm not exactly known for taking time off. Or maybe...," he trailed off.

"Or maybe _what, _young master," his butler asked in a hard voice.

"Or maybe I could offer myself as bait. If they catch me and take me to their hideout, I can call you to dispose of them. You killed the members from before, so I doubt they know that I have a demon. Besides, if I was a suitable sacrifice the first time, I should be this time." He could hardly believe what he was saying. Why would he put himself in this kind of situation again? And yet, he relished the thought of being in this cult's grasp, them thinking they had him, and he suddenly calling Sebastian to slaughter them.

Sebastian looked angry. "Young master, have you gone insane? What if this plan of yours works, but I can't get to you in time? Do you want to go through all of that pain again? No, young master, I must insist you come up with another plan."

"Don't you order me around demon," Ciel hissed. "Remember, I'm still the one in charge here."

His butler's eyes flashed dangerously. "Of course, my lord, but please come up with a better plan. I don't want to risk losing you before the contract is complete," he said in a controlled voice.

"How about this," Ciel amended. "I walk around town and pretend to shop. You can turn into a cat or something and follow me. If one of these cult members confronts me, you can interrogate him and find out where the rest are. Then we can go and eradicate them together."

"Yes, young master," Sebastian smiled. "That sounds like a much better plan."

He pulled out his pocket watch and checked the time. "It is already half past six. I suggest you eat a quick dinner here before we set out."

Ciel agreed and they went to the dining hall where he ordered a plate of roast beef. Sebastian kept giving the poor waiter looks that said mess-one-thing-up-and-I-shall-crucify-you-here-and-now. After Ciel received his food from the now trembling server, he asked about the village.

"I need to know so I don't end up getting lost," he said.

"Well, it is small village that makes its money mainly from fishing trout, although several years ago they discovered some Roman artifacts," Sebastian informed. "There is plenty of plant life and it's full of charming stone cottages. It is the last place one would think a cult would be, actually."

"Hiding in plain sight," Ciel scoffed.

He ate quickly, and they soon made their way to the shops in the village. As discussed, Sebastian had turned into his cat form(he teasingly tried to rub against Ciel's legs, only to be kicked aside). Ciel now walked ahead a few feet while Sebastian kept to the shadows. Ciel tried to pretend to be interested in what they were selling, but he was actually looking at the people. After that horrible month after his tenth birthday, he knew a piece of garbage when he saw one. Suddenly, someone bumped him from the right and he stumbled back against a building. He would have yelled at the person, but he saw that it was a young woman running after her toddler, so he let it go. He looked up at the sign above the door and realized that it was a book store. _Maybe I can find some information in here_, he thought as he walked in.

It had a very homey feel to it. It had burgundy walls six shelves lined up next to each other. Two medium sized tables with chairs were in the center of the room, and there was a desk in the back.

"Hello, may I help you, young man?" a voice cried out.

Ciel looked but didn't see anybody. "Who's there? Show yourself!" he demanded.

"Oh, just a minute!," the voice replied in a teasing manner. After a few bumps and stumbled, a middle-aged woman came out from between two shelves. She had graying brown hair swept up in a bun, dull blue eyes, and was wearing a plain blue dress. Even though she seemed ordinary enough, Ciel felt that there was something more to her. She walked over to him and smiled sweetly.

"Hello, again. My name is Mrs. Milbury and I own this quaint little shop. There isn't much, but it's enough to keep these simple villagers entertained. I can tell you're not from around here. Most children from here would be locked up tight by their parents at this time of night."

"You're right, I don't live here in the village. I'm here to...visit," he said.

"Visit, eh? You look way too stiff to be _visiting_," she said with a laugh. "But I suppose that's none of my business. Is their something particular you're looking for, or do you just want to look?"

"I just came in to see what was in here," he told her. "I should be on my way now." He turned to walk out the door.

"Are you sure?" she called after him. "What you seek may be closer than you think!"

Ciel stopped and turned to face her. "Okay, just who the hell are you?" he demanded. "You've been giving me an odd feeling ever since I first laid eyes on you!"

"You might want to sit down for this," she said as she sat in one of the chairs by a table. "Don't worry, I don't mean you any harm. Although you don't seem the type to trust people."

Ciel walked to the table and stood across from her. "Now, what is it you know?" he asked in a cool voice.

"I have several things to tell you, actually. But I think I'll save what you want to know for last. So, please," she said while gesturing to a chair. Ciel scowled and sat down.

She smiled again. "I've always had a certain power, I have. I can't exactly see the future, but I can tell people things that they will need to know. And I can sense that you'll have plenty of things you'll need to know and remember."

"Like what?" Ciel asked skeptically, one eyebrow raised.

"For starters, you need to learn that you can't fight fate. Where you end up is where you're destined to be. Second, you need to learn to accept the love that is given to you. The people who are giving it care very, very much about you, and your rejection gives them great pain. Third, you shouldn't keep secrets. Secrets will only hurt you and the people who care for you. Fourth, don't act impulsively. It will cause a great deal of trouble. And lastly, you must be careful of the people around you. You never know what true motives they may have," she finished in a grave voice.

"Well, that was good advice I suppose," Ciel said in an indifferent voice. "But none of that is something I've never heard before."

"Yes, but how often do you follow this advice?" she asked.

As he scowled at her, she let out a small chuckle. "Ah, dear boy, I know that you might not even remember this, but these words _will_ help you in your future. Now how about I tell you what I really want to know?"

Ciel leaned forward eagerly. "What is it?"

She let out another damn laugh. _Argh, it's like a female Undertaker!_ he thought.

"If you keep going down this road, you'll eventually come to an old building with peeling green paint," she informed him. "The sign outside says that it is a 'bar'. When you go in the front, you will see a bunch of drunks inside, true, but the bartender will give you an eyefull, he will. If you give him the secret code, which is ordering two shots of gin and shrugging your left shoulder three times, he will give you a key with your drinks and tell you to go round back. There you find a red door with a stout man guarding it. You give him the drinks as payment to go in. You just might find what's inside to be very useful indeed."

"Wait, how do you know all this?" he asked. This certainly was useful information!...If it turned out to be true, that is.

"Oh, I have my sources," she said with another damn chuckle. "But it's up to you if you want to take it. And while you're here, why don't you buy one of my fine books? Business hasn't been so good lately, what with all the cult activity and the kidnappings."

"I don't have time, but take this as payment for your help," he said as he laid a few coins on the table. "I have to leave now." he started again for the door.

"Thank you, and remember what I've told you!" she called after him.

He walked back into the cold night air. He immediately felt two eyes burning into him from the shadows. _Hm, must have been in there longer than I thought_.

"Let's go, Sebastian," he muttered as he headed down the street.

**XxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

**A/N: Okay, got the stuff for the next chapter set up. I hope all the information about Bibury was right. All I had was what I could find on the web. **

**For next chapter: Was Mrs. Milbury giving accurate information, or was she just pulling the young earl's leg? Will there be cult ass kicking, or Sebastian finding a barn full of kittens? Find out next time on ABL!**

**REVIEEEEEEEEW!**


	6. Complete

**Disclaimer: Ego non sua aliquid**

**A/N: Ugh, this week has been way too long for me. Oh, well, it's over now. After this chapter, the good part of the story can start!(hopefully then I'll get more reviews). I hope I got all my information about Bibury right. I got it all from travel sites. Anyhow, on to the story!**

**XxxxxxxX**

It wasn't long before the feeling of demon's gaze became too much for Ciel to bear. After making sure nobody else was around, he stopped in an alleyway. It wasn't long before he felt a familiar presence by his side.

"Young master, you were in that shop for quite a bit of time," came Sebastian's voice from his left.

"Was I really? That woman seemed to talk very fast...," he muttered.

"My lord, may I ask what exactly you were doing in there? By the determined look on your face, I assumed you found a lead in the case," Sebastian said with a curious look.

"Well, I had a rather interesting conversation with the owner of the shop," the earl replied. "She told me to find an old green building that is supposedly a 'bar', order some gin while giving the barkeep a secret code, in which he'll then give me a key. Then I go round back and give the drinks to the guard in exchange for access to the door there. As ridiculous as this all sounds, I'm afraid we have no other choice but to try this. Even though that woman was very eccentric, she seemed to know what she was talking about. It's not like we have any other leads, anyway."

He decided not to mention the other strange advice Mrs. Milbury told him. _Besides, _he thought, _what could she possibly know? I'm not even going to have a future soon._ The image of a certain bubbly green eyed girl suddenly went through his mind, causing him to feel sudden sorrow. _Lizzie...forgive me..._

"-aster? Young master!"

Ciel started and turned to face his butler. Said butler was giving him an odd look.

"Young master, are you quite alright? You just seemed to drift off there," Sebastian stated, tilting his head to the side.

Ciel let out a sigh. "It's nothing, Sebastian. Nothing at all."

Sebastian had an annoyed look on his face now. "Are you quite sure?"

"Yes, quite," Ciel answered, his voice cold.

"Well, in that case, I must ask his young lordship to _please_ focus on the task at hand. This is rather important, after all," the butler said snippely.

"And I must ask _you_ to watch your tone, Sebastian!" Ciel retorted. "This is the second time you've done this tonight. Remember, until the contract is complete, I am your master and you do not tell me what to do! Do you understand?"

Sebastian gave him an extremely fake smile. "Yes, my lord."

"Good. Now, since I refuse to do the ridiculous steps required to get into the building, I figured that you can just knock the man out and get the door open," Ciel said.

"Very well then, young master. That does sound quite a bit easier. Lead the way," Sebastian said while turning back into a cat.

Ciel left the alleyway and started down the street again. It was now considerably late, judging by how high the moon was. It was also quite cold. Ciel rubbed his arms to warm them up some. _It would be just my luck if it stated snowing, _he thought.

After about ten minutes, he caught sight of the building he sought. Mrs. Milbury hadn't been lying when she said it was old. It looked to be made of very cheap wood and resembled a shack more than a business establishment. The paint was a revolting shade of green and was indeed peeling. The only way you could tell what it was supposed to be was the small sign on the door that said "**Tom's Bar**."

"Sebastian, stay close. I'm going to head back and check things out," Ciel murmured. He instantly felt his butler's presence right behind him. Knowing he was guaranteed protection, he walked toward the bar. As he got close, he felt a dark aura coming from it._ So they must be here after all_, he realized and wrinkled his nose in disgust. _I'll be rid of them soon enough._ Just as he was about to reach the back of the bar, he was stopped by a sudden force.

"What the-!" he yelped as he put his hand out in front of him. It felt like there was a solid wall in front of him. "Damn, someone must have put up some sort of force field!"

"I believe your right, young master." Sebastian was now standing beside him and touching the invisible wall as well. "Hm, it seems that this sort of shield needs a special key of some sort to let us through."

He smirked down at his little lord. "It appears that you'll have to go in for the key after all. I do hope the young master can swallow his pride long enough to procure it."

"Shut the hell up!" Ciel snapped as he began to walk back toward the front. _Ugh, I can __**feel**__ that bastard's smirk!_ He really didn't want to go into this dilapidated building, but it seemed that he had no choice. After pausing for a minute by the door, he went inside. He was immediately hit with the smell of alcohol and tobacco smoke. He closed his eyes and coughed a few times until he got used to the smell.

The place looked just as bad, if not worse, on the inside. The walls were covered with mouse gray

wallpaper which was stained with who knows what. The floor was in much the same condition. Unsurprisingly, there were only a few people, dirty and unkempt, in there. The only ones who weren't drinking were the ones who were passed out.

The bartender had his back to all this. He was busy cleaning glasses. Ciel slowly walked up to him, all the while trying to gather the nerve to give that stupid code. After a minute of silence, Ciel cleared his throat to get his attention. The man slowly turned to look at him. Ciel noted that there was nothing particularly spectacular about the man, but there was something about his eyes that unnerved the young earl. After the man stared at him for what seemed like forever, he finally spoke.

"Can I help you?" he asked in a slow voice.

Ciel cleared his throat again. "Yes, um, I would like...two glasses of gin, please." He tried to hide the blush on his face as he shrugged his left shoulder three times. _If this doesn't work, I'll put that wretched woman in the ground myself!, _he vowed.

The man continued to stare at him, and Ciel felt his stomach sink. But then the man suddenly turned and poured two glasses of the strong, clear liquid. Ciel still didn't think the code worked until he felt a small object placed in his hand alongside the gin.

"Thank you, sir," he said quietly as he laid some money down. He turned and began to walk out quickly, all the while feeling the man's eyes bore into his back. As soon as he was back outside he took several breaths. All that smoke wasn't good for his lungs.

"Did it go well, young master?" Sebastian asked. You weren't in there for very long." He was standing right by the door.

"Yes, I believe it did. Come here and help me hold these glasses," Ciel ordered. As Sebastian took them, he examined the other object. It was a small metal key with several strange symbols engraved on it.

"Sebastian, do you know what this is?" he asked.

His butler took the key from him and looked at it carefully. "I believe it is just what we need. Objects with these particular symbols on them can get past magical barriers. This key seems to be designed specifically for that force field. Although I'm not sure how humans found out about these, let alone pulled it off."

"Well, let's go then," Ciel stated. They walked behind the bar again, and were stopped by the shield again. Sebastian waved the key in front of it until he found a certain spot. He then put the key right up against it and made and turned it. The shield went away immediately.

"Well, young master, let us proceed," he said as he handed his master the gin back. He then turned into a shadow like shape so he could blend in with the darkness.

Ciel mad his way to the back and saw a haggard looking man slumped in a chair. He was right in front of the red door that Mrs. Milbury had described to him. _Hm, perhaps I should have given her more money._ Ciel walked up to the man and kicked him awake.

"Huh, waz goin' on?" the man slurred. Ciel kicked him again. "Hey, you brat! Whaddaya think yer doin'?"

"I was told to give you these, my good sir,"Ciel said in an even voice. He handed the man the gin.

"Ohhhh. You're one a' '_em_, ain't cha? Well, be ma guest!" He stood and opened the door. "Do ya know da way down, or are ye a furst timer?"

"It is my first time. What do you mean "the way down'?" Ciel asked.

"Well ya see," the man told him "ya hafta feel round for da levuh. It's not hard ta find, its somewheres to da right. Afta ya pull it down, da wall'll open up and there'll be a staircase. Ya take it down ta where da rwst of yer friends are."

"I see. I shall be on my way then," Ciel said as he walked into the small room, his unsee-able butler right behind him.

"Let's see, he said there was some sort of lever to the right...Aha, I found it!" Ciel pulled it down as instructed, and the wall to the left swung open.

"Alright, let's go, Sebastian!" Ciel began to carefully walk down the staircase. With each step, his excitement grew. All he could think about was finally, _finally_ having his vengeance! All thoughts of his parents, Lizzie, his friends, the servants, and his home left his mind completely.

As they neared the bottom, Ciel began to hear voices.

"Did you remember to dump the body in the right location?" one voice asked.

"Of course," another replied. "People in this town are suspicious enough as it is. We'll soon have to leave this place. Too many witnesses."

"What should we do?" came yet another voice. "Even if we leave, the villagers are still going to know that we've been here. I even heard a rumor that the queen was sending her guard dog here! Perhaps we should consider getting rid of the village altogether. That way there will be no evidence."

"I think you're right," said the first voice. "And while we're at it, let's grab a few more children to use in our ceremonies. It's not like anyone will miss them."

Ciel had heard enough. "Sebastian, now!" he commanded.

"Yes!," Sebastian replied. They ran down in to the room where the voices were located. It was a large circular room filled with people in white robes and masks. There was a familiar symbol on the floor and on the walls.

"Sebastian, this is an order!" Ciel said as he took off his eye patch. "Kill them!"

"Yes, my lord," the butler replied before he swiftly killed the people in front of them. Some of them he killed slowly, enjoying the pain of his young master's tormentors. Of course, they all screamed for mercy, but they received none from the demon.

Ciel surveyed the scene in front of him. It was just like three years ago. Sebastian killing a room full of disgusting people, all because he had told him to. A small smile formed on his face. Sebastian deserved to have his soul.

"Young master, it is finished," his butler announced.

Ciel gazed around the room once more, relishing the sight of the dead occultists. "Are these all of them, Sebastian, or are there still more?" he asked quietly.

Sebastian gave him a small smile. "No, my lord, our contract is now complete."

"Well, then," Ciel said, "I believe you're entitled to a soul." He closed his eyes. "Go on, then, take it."

He felt a hand on his shoulder. "My lord, why don't we go somewhere else for this? I'm sure you don't want your last moments to be in a place like this," Sebastian said.

Ciel opened his eyes and smiled softly at his butler. "Yes, you're quite right. I'd hate to die in the same room as these vermin," he replied.

Sebastian picked the earl up and held him tightly as he walked out of the building. Ciel buried his head in his butler's shoulder and let his thoughts wander. He thought of his friends and family. He knew that they would miss him, but he couldn't bring himself to care. He hadn't felt this peaceful in along time.

"Young master, we have arrived," Sebastian informed him. He had brought them to a small deserted park. He quickly found a bench to place his charge on. Ciel looked around him. The trees and grass were covered with frost, but there were a few winter rose bushes still thriving. The sight made him smile.

He turned to Sebastian. "Will it hurt?" he asked.

"A little," his butler said. "I'll be as gentle as I can though."

Ciel nodded and Sebastian sat next to him. He let out a small noise of surprise as Sebastian pulled him onto his lap. "Now, young master, please be still. I want to do this as carefully as possible. Please hold onto me if you want to," Sebastian said in serious tone.

Ciel complied and put his hands on Sebastian's shoulders. "Go on," he said.

Sebastian leaned down and latched his mouth around Ciel's. Ciel felt an intense pain throughout his body and squeezed Sebastian tighter. In the midst of the pain, he felt an odd feeling in his center. It was like something was tearing in half. One half stayed in him and the other traveled out of his mouth and into Sebastian's.

Darkness began to cloud his vision and he felt his body go lax. _It's finally over_, was his last thought before the darkness swallowed him.

**XxxxxxxxxX**

**A/N: Ciel's sure going to be in for a surprise, isn't he? This was the first part of the story. There will be three more(withSebxCiel brother fluff!) If you want to find out what happens next, LEAVE AREVIEW!**


	7. Surprise

**Disclaimer: Jag ager inte nagonting**

**A/N: Hi, guys! Thanks to those who reviewed! Hey, has any one heard the dub for season 2 yet? I think Alois is a little too feminine, but Claude and Hannah are alright. So as promised, there will be some bro fluff in this chapter. Well, from Sebby anyway. Ciel...well, you'll see.**

** XxxxxxxxxxX**

It felt like he was floating.

He couldn't see, hear, or feel anything. It was a rather soothing experience. He'd been full of hatred for so long, he'd forgotten what it was like to be without it. The only thing he could register was a feeling of comfort and peace.

**XxxxxxxxxxX**

He didn't know how long it had been, but he eventually started to regain his sense of awareness. He didn't know where he was, but it felt warm, safe. He heard what sounded like someone breathing next to him, but that was all. It constantly felt like someone was either rubbing his back or stroking his hair.

**XxxxxxxxxxxX**

He began to make out voices.

"Your Majesty, are you sur-"

"Yes, for the final time, I am not leaving his side! I do not understand why you people would think I would after what happened last time."

"Y-yes, please forgive me, Your Majesty. I was just worri-"

"Enough. Now, did you bring what I asked for?"

"Oh, yes! This should help revive the young prince quickly! I brought the best I could find."

"Naturally."

Someone lifted his head up and poured something into his mouth.

"Come on, Ciel, swallow this." He did so, and then let the darkness reclaim him.

**XxxxxxxxxxxxX**

The next time he awoke, he found that he had regained his senses and feeling in his body. He was lying on something incredibly soft and he was pressed against something warm and hard. He felt an arm around his back and a hand playing with his hair. After just laying there and feeling content for a few moments, his reasoning came back to him. _What happened? Shouldn't I be dead? If I somehow ended up in Hell I shouldn't be this comfortable. And who is treating me in this childish manner?_

He opened his eyes only to see more black. After a moment he realized that it was a shirt and he was facing somebody's chest. He immediately tried to back up, but the arm around him tightened and wouldn't let him.

"Ciel? Are you awake?" a voice asked him in a gentle tone. He didn't recognize it at first, but he soon remembered.

"S-Sebastian?" he asked. He winced at how groggy his voice sounded. _I must have been sleeping for awhile,_he thought.

"Yes, it's me, my little Ciel." There was a smile in the voice.

_'My little Ciel?' Is this bastard mocking me?_ "Sebastian, what is going on? I demand you tell me!" he ordered. He heard his former butler laugh as he pulled the boy into a sitting position.

Ciel looked at his surroundings and gasped. He had never seen such a beautiful room. The walls and bedspread were a magnificent royal blue. The carpet and the furniture looked to be made of ebony and bits of silver. At the end of the room, there were several large windows covered with black silk curtains, and there was a large desk in front of those. To his right, there was a large wardrobe and door with a silver knob. To his left, there was a bookcase and another door, except this one was made entirely of silver. A small table and a few chairs were in the center of the room. There was also a small silver chandelier on the ceiling.

"Do you like it?" Sebastian asked. "I had it designed particularly to your taste."

Ciel turned to face him, and was shocked at what he saw. If it was truly Sebastian, it sure didn't look like him. He looked so...demonic. His features were sharper, his hair was longer and a bit messier, his teeth were much sharper, and there was an almost wild look in his eyes. His nails were much longer and looked dangerous. He was wearing a black suit, but not like the one he wore when he was a butler. This one looked like something a king would wear. On his feet he wore boots with very thin heels.

When Ciel tried to scoot away again, Sebastian frowned and pulled him onto his lap. "Don't do that," he said flatly. Ciel tried to squirm out of the restricting arms holding him, but Sebastian only held him tighter. After a few minutes, Ciel finally gave up his futile efforts and stopped struggling.

"Are you quite done?" Sebastian asked in a seemingly bored voice, but Ciel could tell he was amused by his former master's antics. This only made the boy scowl. "I'll ask again, what is going on? I thought you ate my soul!"

Sebastian gave him a small smile. "Oh, but I did! Well...half of it, anyway. I should thank you. It was one of the most delicious things I've ever eaten." He brought his hand up to cup one of Ciel's cheeks and looked at him fondly.

Ciel tried to jerk his head away. "What do you mean 'only half'?" he demanded. He was becoming very agitated. He didn't know where he was, what was going on, and his former butler was giving him affectionate touches. He began to squirm again. Sebastian sighed in exasperation and grabbed Ciel's chin. Ciel was forced to look into the demon's eyes. "Ciel," Sebastian said slowly, "_stop it._"

Ciel instantly stopped and felt his body relax. It wasn't that some force was holding him down. He had simply lost the will to fight. Seeing this, Sebastian smirked and leaned back. "Good. Now that you're calm, I will explain everything to you." He repositioned Ciel so that they were facing each other.

"Hm, where to start?" Sebastian mused. "It's a rather long story, I'm afraid. So I suppose I'll start at the very beginning. You see, Ciel, I'm king of the demons." The look on his face must have been shocked because Sebastian started to laugh. "Yes, yes, I assure you it's true! I'll even show you my crown later on to prove it. But let's get back to the story, shall we? My father, the previous king, was losing his power and gaining many enemies. So my mother, the queen, decided they should have a child to protect the throne. And that is how I was born. Growing up, I was very skilled and intelligent, if I do say so myself. But my father never seemed to like me. It didn't matter how hard I studied or what competitions I won. He looked at me like I was lower than dirt. It was no wonder I grew to hate him. As I got older, I began to wonder why people still tolerated him. He was old, losing his intelligence, and purposely causing misery. One evening, by sheer accident, I angered him and he attacked me. It was then I decided to get rid of him and take the throne that I deserved."

Ciel grew tense as Sebastian spoke. He always knew the demon was a control freak, but to turn against his own father and steal his throne? Ciel couldn't imagine doing that to his own father, no matter how they felt about each other.

Sebastian continued on. "I took refuge in a fortress I had secretly built and assembled an army. Many people in this kingdom decided to side with me since my father had become such a tyrant. I spent day in and day out forming strategies and making plans to defeat him. I gather the best soldiers and acquired the best weapons I could find. I was sure that nothing could ever distract me from my goal. But one day..." he paused and held Ciel even tighter. "one day, my mother came to find me. I didn't want to see her. She had turned against me and I was sure that she was spying on me for my father. But I decided to see her anyway. She might have had some useful information to give me. But to my surprise, she was pregnant! Apparently my father tried to kill her to get rid of the child. I took pity on her and let her stay with me.

"I continued to spend the next few months planning and attacks and building an army. But everything changed for me the day my mother went in to labor. She gave birth to a beautiful little boy, but died soon after. I took it upon myself to raise my little brother to be a proper demon, to be strong and proud." He gave Ciel an odd look before speaking again. "Oh, I loved him so much! We demons enjoy a great many things, but we rarely ever _love_. I had a nanny to help care for him when he was a baby, but when he became a little older I looked after him myself. I taught him everything and kept him with me always. And he was always happy to be with me and seemed to hate everyone else. And one day, after many years, I finally managed to defeat my father. Of course I was happy. I was not only a monarch, but I could now always keep my brother safe. Or so I thought..." Suddenly, the demon's eyes were filled with deep and utter hate. Ciel actually felt afraid.

"On the day I was crowned, I let my brother stray from my side. As soon as I was declared king, I looked around the room for him, but he was nowhere to be seen. At first I thought that he was hiding somewhere, but then I heard his voice say my name in my mind. We could always talk to each other through our minds if we needed to. I had the entire kingdom searched for days, but he never turned up. I was frantic with worry. My brother was very frail and his fighting skills weren't very good. Eventually, I found out what had happened. Apparently my father had a secret group that worked for him. They had cast a spell on my baby brother that would erase his memories and turn him into a human." Ciel began to get a very bad feeling.

"Of course, I had ordered the group to be punished, and they still are to this very day. I vowed that when my brother was reborn I would find him and bring him back home. And so I did," he finished. He put his hands on Ciel's soldiers and looked at him meaningfully.

Ciel felt himself freeze. _No, this is not happening. My butler is not telling me he's a king and I'm his long lost brother. This is all some bizarre dream or he's going out of his way to tease me. I am Ciel Phantomhive, the Earl of Phantomhive! I don't have any sort of relation to this demon!_

When he didn't say anything, Sebastian thought that Ciel didn't understand him. "Ciel, _you're _my brother." The boy slowly started to shake his head. "Ciel, what's wrong? Aren't you happy? I know it may be a lot to take in-"

"You're crazy," Ciel murmured.

Sebastian looked at him with a blank expression for a moment. "Excuse me?" he asked, both apprehension and a warning in his voice.

Ciel looked at him with a fierce look in his eyes. "I said that you're crazy! I know who I am! I'm Ciel Phantomhive, the son of Vincent and Rachel! I don't have any relation to a demon like you! If this is all some sort of sick joke, I-" he stopped as an ominous feeling came over him. Sebastian face was controlled, but his eyes were glowing angrily and pointed right at the poor boy who dared to talk back to him. Ciel was about to get up and run when Sebastian grabbed his chin roughly.

"You listen to me, _little boy_," he said in a terrifying tone. "Above all else, I am the king around here. And I will not let anyone, not even you, dear brother, show me such disrespect. Do you understand me?"

All Ciel could do was nod.

**Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**A/N: Oh Ciel, you've done it now! Your big demon brother is mad!**

**So basically, Ciel thinks Sebastian is full of crap. How will Sebastian deal with this? What exactly happened to Ciel? Is Sebastian going to be extremely overprotective? If you want to find out, leave a review!**

**See you guys next Saturday!**


	8. Changes

**Disclaimer: Eu nu nimic din proprie**

**A/N: I'm back again! Thanks to those who reviewed! So you know, Seb and Ciel's relationship will be pretty rocky for awhile. They're both stubborn as mules... This chapter starts right where the last one ended.**

**XxxxxxxxxxxX**

After seeing that he scared the boy, Sebastian immediately tried to comfort him. He pulled the younger closer to him and began to coo in his ear the most comforting word he could think of.

"Shh...it's alright...I not going to hurt you...you're safe...calm...down..."

It only made Ciel embarrassed. This damn demon kept treating him like a small child who needed to be coddled! He took a few deep breaths to calm himself. _Alright,Ciel, compose yourself, _he thought. _Just pretend he's still your butler. You have no reason to be scared of a mere servant._ This seemed to do the trick, for he was able to stop shaking and put a passive look on his face.

"Ciel, are you alright?" Sebastian asked in a worried tone. He would hate to have his poor brother afraid of him after all this time.

"Yes, I'm quite alright," Ciel replied in an indifferent tone. He moved his head the side to try to get away from the hand resting on his cheek.

Sebastian looked at him carefully before closing his eyes and sighing. "Alright, if you say so," he said. "Now, how about we get you dressed and start the day, hmm?"

Ciel looked down and noticed for the first time what he was wearing. It was a blue silk nightshirt with silver buttons. The bottom of it and the ends of the sleeves were black. _He must have gotten me a new wardrobe, too._

He let out a gasp when Sebastian picked him up and began walking to the ebony door. "What are you doing? Put me down this instant!" he demanded. He didn't like the thought of the demon carrying him to unknown places. Sebastian only chuckled and opened the door. Inside was an immense bathroom that was all done in blue marble. The tub in the center of the room looked large and deep, there was a comfortable looking chair by it, a stack of dark blue towels by the wall, and there was a large assortment of soaps and cream on a shelf.

Sebastian put him down in the chair and began to fill the tub. He then started to unbutton the smaller's shirt. "Do you want to take a bath together?" he asked casually, "Or do you simply want me to assist you?" Ciel blanched at the thought of being in the tub with his former butler. "It would be fine if you simply assisted me," he replied in a cold voice.

Sebastian sighed again as he lifted Ciel into the now filled tub. "I know this is hard for you to accept, Ciel, but I _am_ your brother. You don't need to treat me so coldly," he said as he went to retrieve a few bottles from the shelf. He then sat in the chair and gently poured water over the child's head. He squeezed some chamomile scented shampoo into his hands and rubbed it into Ciel's hair, making sure to massage his scalp.

"I still don't understand how this is possible," said Ciel, who was beginning to relax against his will. Sebastian knew exactly how to make him feel comfortable.

"Let me try to explain again," Sebastian said while beginning to wash the rest of his body. "Even though your physical body was born to a different set of parents, your soul is still the same."

"How can you even tell?" Ciel asked.

"Well, it goes back to when you first summoned me. Even though you were a human at the time, you managed to call me forth, which was something only a powerful sorcerer, deity, or demon could do. And that's only if I _wanted _to come," Sebastian explained. "There was still a part of your soul that had demonic essence in it. And when I first sensed it, I instantly knew it was my darling brother come back to me. Though I _was_ surprised to see your physical appearance was more or less the same."

"What do you mean 'more or less the same'?" Ciel demanded. The bad feeling was beginning to come back...

Sebastian gave him a soft smile. "Come, I'll show you," he said. He lifted Ciel out of the tub and dried him off with one of the soft towels. He then guided the boy toward a mirror in the corner. Ciel almost screamed at what he saw. His skin had always been pale, but now it looked like pure white. There was still a contract mark in his eye, but it didn't look like Sebastian's. His lips and tongue were a darker red,he had bloody _fangs,_ his hair was darker and a bit longer, his eyes were a bit smaller, and his nails were black.

Sebastian put his hands on his shoulders and gave them a squeeze. "Don't worry. By demon standards you're really quite attractive. Beautiful, even," he said in a reassuring tone.

Ciel couldn't tell what was worse: his new appearance or having this demon call him "beautiful". He brought a hand up to his eye.

"Why has the mark changed?" he whispered.

"That is _your_ mark, Ciel," Sebastian said, a hint of pride in his voice. "Mine went away when our contract was completed. But this is the mark you were born with. You should be happy, for the location of it means that you will be very powerful one day."

Ciel closed his eyes and shook his head a few times to compose himself. _This cannot be happening_, he thought again. "I'm done looking now," he said.

"Then let's get you dressed," Sebastian said in a pleasant voice. He carried Ciel back to his bed, then went over to the wardrobe. He looked through the clothing inside carefully, trying to find the perfect outfit. When he finally found it, he walked back over to Ciel and began to dress him.

"I must say, Sebastian. You claim to be a king, and yet you're still performing the duties of a butler," Ciel commented dryly.

Sebastian looked at him a moment before smirking and pinching one of the boy's cheeks. "Well, little brother, seeing how you were snatched away from me in such a manner last time, I do not fully trust any of the servants to look after you. I shall continue to do these certain duties until our subjects know you well enough to stay loyal to you."

Ciel snorted. "If you're as powerful as you say you are, can't you protect me? Or are you-"

"Ciel!" Sebastian said firmly. "Enough."

After his last experience with an angry Sebastian, Ciel decided it would be better to just keep quiet. When Sebastian had finished, Ciel looked at himself in the mirror by the wardrobe. He was dressed in a black velvet suit with a blue waistcoat and black boots that went up his calfs. He had to admit that he looked much more sophisticated in this than he had in his old clothes.

Sebastian took out medium sized ebony box from the bottom of the wardrobe. He sat down on the bed and patted the spot next to him. Ciel gave him a weary look before walking over and sitting next to the demon. "What is that?" he asked and gestured to the box. He got the feeling that Sebastian was waiting for him to ask.

Sebastian gave him a bright smile, which only served to send a chill down Ciel's spine. He opened the box and pulled out an onyx ring with some sort of purple gem on it and put it on Ciel's finger. As soon as it made contact with his skin, it gave off a faint glow. When he held the ring closer to his face, Ciel could see the same mark that was in his eye was carved into the gem. Sebastian grabbed his hand and kissed the ring.

"I had this made for you when you were small," Sebastian said. "I knew even then that you would need something to show how noble you are and how much respect should be given to you." he put an arm around the younger's shoulders and held him close. "Listen carefully to me, Ciel. You must never take this ring off. Not only does it show your status, but you will help to keep you from harm. Now, promise me you always keep it on. And keep in mind that I always know when somebody has broken a promise to me."

Ciel didn't want to promise the demon anything, but he couldn't think of anyway out of this. "I...I promise," he said quietly.

"Good!" Sebastian said with another smile. Ciel felt like he had sold his soul to the Devil(which, actually, he already did). Sebastian then pulled something else out of the box. It was a round silver band with a large sapphire in the middle of it, and a diamond on either sides of it. Sebastian lowered it onto Ciel's head. "This is your crown. You don't have to wear this all the time, but make sure you have it on when we're in court or entertaining guests."

Ciel looked toward the mirror again. He never imagined himself wearing a crown, especially not one like this. There was just something about it that made it seem more precious than anything he could find in the human world. "Don't you have one, too?" he asked Sebastian.

"Hm? Oh, yes," Sebastian replied. He snapped his fingers and an elaborate silver and platinum crown appeared in his hand. It looked similar to Ciel's but it looked more...kingly. Sebastian let him look at it for a moment before he placed it on his own head.

"Now, I had hoped to keep you in here until you adjusted properly, but I'm afraid we've run into a problem," Sebastian said in a solemn tone.

"What do you mean?" Ciel asked. He could feel panic rising up in him. He truly didn't want to leave this room to see who-knows-what.

"Ssh, calm down, it will be alright," Sebastian cooed at him while rubbing his shoulder. Ciel was beginning to get sick of that. "It appears our subjects want to see their lost prince. Our nobles want affirmation that I haven't made a mistake, and the rest are simply curious."

Ciel gave a start. "Let's say I do believe that I'm your brother," he said and ignored the small glare Sebastian gave him. "I don't remember anything about my 'past life'. How are you going to prove that you _didn't _make a mistake?"

Sebastian gave him a sympathetic look. "They told me your memories would come back in due time. Probably not all at once, but you should get snippets of it here and there. But we'll talk about that later. I am certain that I have not made a mistake. Believe it or not, You are my brother, you are a prince of Hell, and I love you."

Ciel said nothing as the demon kissed his cheeks, and tried to believe what he just heard.

**XxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

**A/N: Alright, next chapter we get to see Sebastian in king mode, him getting angry for various reasons, and Ciel wonders about his friends and Lizzie. Also, if there's anything you want to see in this story, let me know. And be specific. Don't just say something like "moar fluffz!" We'll get to that eventually. Btw, if you want to know what Seb's crown looks like, just Google "silver crown" and you'll get a general idea.**

**Remember to leave a review! If you do, Sebastian will let you borrow his hooker heels!**


	9. Meeting

**Disclaimer: Ne zam nista vlastiti**

**A/N: Hello again! Thanks to everyone who reviewed! As promised, you'll get to see Sebby get his king on in this chapter. And he doesn't treat everyone else as nicely as he does Ciel, which you probably already guessed... Also, Ciel's going to push a few buttons. On to the story!**

**XxxxxxxxxxxxX**

It took a lot for something to cause a ruckus in this realm. Almost all demons had little to no morals, no trace of shame, and did whatever they pleased(that was within the legal limit, anyway). It was the norm to see fights, couples being intimate in public, viciously torturing human souls, and just general uncleanness.

Of course, there were some events that were worth remembering. Obviously, Prince Ciel disappearing was one of them(some parents used this story as a warning to their children). Another one was when one of the ambassadors got drunk and vomited on King Sebastian's shoes, who in turn flayed him in the middle of the street. And no one would ever forget the time a band of Reapers came to gather a few souls that had been stolen by the demons. Damn things had had the power of the divine on their side, which ensured an easy victory.

And quite recently, their king had formed a contract and went to the human world! They were all very perplexed about this, for the king could have any soul he wanted be delivered to him. Oh sure, he came back to make sure things were running smoothly from time to time, but the place just wasn't the same without their beloved monarch. When they asked him how much longer he would be gone, he simply said he would be back soon. "And with a surprise!" he had said with mirth, holding a finger to his lips.

And now after a mere three years, he had returned to his kingdom. But only a handful of people knew what, or more specifically, who, the "surprise" was. They were Sebastian's most trusted counselors, nobles, and physicians. Oh, the looks on their faces when they saw their little prince in their king's arms! He was in a deep sleep and had human features, but he was still recognizable. The king had immediately ordered the prince's old room to be refurnished and the best souls to be brought for his consumption.

The head physician, Garak, had wanted to give his prince a thorough examination to make sure his body and soul were turning nicely, but the king would snap at anybody who got too lose to him. He was forced to let the stubborn ruler look after the boy itself. It was quite strange to see the arrogant and seemingly untouchable man look after the child so lovingly. He had lain down beside him and curled his body around his brother's, very much resembling a mother crow sitting on her chicks. He'd stroke Ciel, coo into his ear, and hand feed him.

Though they were loathe to try to get the king to move, they knew they had no choice. Sebastian had been absent for awhile and he needed to return to his throne. Also, his people needed to know that Ciel had returned after more than five hundred years. He was just as, if not more, popular as his brother. And even though he was young, he was still very powerful. He would have people flocking to him and asking Sebastian for his hand in no time.

There were also a few of the counselors who wanted to make sure that Sebastian hadn't made a mistake. In the days after his brother disappeared, the king would lash out at everyone, have a dull look in his eyes, and lock himself in Ciel's bedroom. Even after hundreds of years passed, they knew the king was still grieving. How were they to know that this boy wasn't just a look- alike of the prince and Sebastian convinced himself it really was him? And since they couldn't get near the boy, they had no way of knowing. So the only option was to have the king bring the boy to court and let everyone see him. People had arrived in the throne room quite early to make sure they could get a good view. After all, this was the event of a lifetime.

**XxxxxxxxxxxxX**

Ciel had been able to tolerate all of the things Sebastian had done until now. Aside from the tight embraces and kisses, he had still acted like his polite butler. But _this_ is where he drew the line.

After they were both ready, Sebastian had quickly carried him into the lavish throne room. Sebastian didn't seem to notice anything around him, but Ciel was amazed. This was even more extravagant than the one in Buckingham Palace! Everything seemed to be made of the most precious metals and the most expensive fabrics. The walls and floors shown with silver and gold and the tapestries on the walls were made with the best red and black velvets and silks. But in contrast to the beauty of the room, there were many, er, _not _so beautiful people. Indeed, they looked like monsters that decided it would be fun to dress in evening wear. And they were all staring- gaping – at _him_. He had the sudden urge to hide his face in Sebastian's chest, but quickly stomped on that urge. _This so no time to be acting childish, Ciel!_, he scolded himself.

Sebastian carried him over to a raised platform at the far side of the room. On it were two thrones made out of silver, gold, and a variety of gems. One was rather large and the one next to it was smaller in size. Ciel expected Sebastian to put him in the smaller one, but instead the demon carried them both to the larger one. Sebastian gracefully sat down in it and, yet again, draped Ciel across his lap. This was beyond mortifying. He didn't want these demons to see him being treated like a small child! He tried to get up but Sebastian immediately restricted him.

"Is something wrong, Ciel?" he whispered in the younger's ear.

"Yes, there is something wrong!" Ciel hissed back. "You're holding me on your lap in front of all these people!"

Sebastian frowned. "Ciel, please, I need to make sure that you're close to me. Besides, these people wouldn't dare to laugh at you."

Ciel wasn't swayed. "Sebastian, I insist you put me do- arghh!" he cried out in pain. Sebastian had dug his sharp claws into his side.

Sebastian put his mouth right against the boy's ear. "I am growing weary of your defiance. I have told you many times now that I am king and I may do what ever I please. If you go against me one more time, I will have to punish you. Have I made myself clear?" he demanded, digging his claws deeper into soft flesh.

Every fiber of Ciel's being didn't want to give into the demon, but he was hurting very bad. Tears were even starting to form in his eyes. He chocked out a small "Yes."

"What was that?" Sebastian asked in a teasing voice. "I can't hear youuu~," he trilled and dug his claws in even deeper.

Ciel couldn't stop himself from crying out. The pain was getting to be too much. "Y-yes! I understand!" he said in a louder voice.

Sebastian smirked and drew his claws out. Ciel sighed in relief, for the pain instantly went away. He didn't protest when Sebastian adjusted him so that he was facing the crowd and held him tighter against his chest. Sebastian cleared his throat and the whole room went silent and stood at attention.

It was eerily quietly until Sebastian spoke again. "Well," he drawled lazily, "isn't it custom to bow before your royalty?" He gestured to the boy and himself. Everyone in the room instantly got on their hands and knees and bowed their heads. Their monarch chuckled and whispered in Ciel's ear, "This is sometimes quite fun. They won't move a muscle until I tell them that they can get up. One time I left them stay there for an entire day!" Ciel hated to admit it, but he liked the idea of controlling people that way. _Maybe there's some truth to what Sebastian is saying after all._

After a minute or two, Sebastian finally told the crowd that they could rise. They tried to keep their expressions blank, but Ciel could see both relief and annoyance in many pairs of eyes. He heard Sebastian let out a hiss and they all bowed their heads again.

"Really," Sebastian said in a slightly amused voice, "I'm gone for a mere three years and you've all already forgotten proper etiquette? How shameful! But anyway, we should get on with this meeting."

He pointed to a man wearing a gray cloak and motioned for him to come closer. The man looked like he was about to sprint up to the throne but his king's expression told him to walk slowly. We he got close Sebastian held out his hand. The man kneeled and kissed the ring on Sebastian's finger. Sebastian then held out Ciel's hand and the man kissed his newly acquired ring. Ciel didn't know what to make of this. As an Earl, he was always given the proper respect, but nobody ever kissed his ring before.

"Now, counselor," Sebastian said to the man, "I believe you had some concerns over my brother here?" Though Ciel was facing away from Sebastian, he could imagine his facial expression. Eyes dangerously slitted, both danger and amusement in them, his lips twisted int their usual smirk, giving the impression of a hungry cat about to strike...

The man visibly gulped. "Well, Your Majesty, um-"

"_Well?_" Sebastian asked, his voice sounding dangerous.

"W-we just want t-to be _sure _that this is the young prince!" the poor man stuttered out.

"Are you saying that I have made a mistake?" Sebastian asked in a seemingly calm voice. Ciel shuddered, for he only heard Sebastian use that voice when he was interrogating enemies or the servants had _really _messed up. _The servants...I wonder how they're doing?_

"N-n-no, Your Majesty! We're j-just _curious_! Yes, curious!" the man choked out, clearly scared out of his wits.

After a pause, Sebastian said "Well then, I suppose I should prove that this is my brother. Though why I should have to explain anything to my own people is beyond me." Ciel could feel everyone in the room becoming nervous. He was actually impressed with Sebastian. A small part of him was glad that he was on the demon's good side.

"Can you all see clearly from where you're standing?" Sebastian asked the crowd.

"Yes, Your Majesty," they all replied in unison.

"Good," Sebastian said. He then pried Ciel's eyes with the seal wide open. "Does everyone see this mark?" They all nodded. "Does everyone recognize it as my brother's mark?" Again, nodding.

"Does everyone remember what my brother looked like?" The older demons immediately nodded but some of the younger ones looked a bit hesitant. Sebastian sighed. "Has everyone at least seen a portrait of him?" At this, everyone nodded. "Can everyone agree that this boy looks just like my brother did?" Everyone nodded again.

Sebastian held out Ciel's ringed hand. "Does everyone see how this ring glows?" More nodding. "It is designed to glow whenever my brother is wearing it or he's even around it. It has been glowing constantly for the past three years and when I put it on this boy's finger. Does everyone agree that this is sufficient evidence that this boy is my brother?"

"Yes, Your Majesty," the voices said again.

"Good, then it's settled," Sebastian said in a pleasant voice. "Now, did everyone remember to make preparations for tomorrow?"

"Yes, Your Majesty." That was beginning to grate on Ciel's nerves.

"Then this meeting is over with. But before anyone leaves, I want you all to come up here and kiss his ring as a show of loyalty," Sebastian said with another smirk.

"What?" Ciel gasped. Was Sebastian really going to make hundreds of people stay and kiss his ring?

"Oh, come now, Ciel, I rather think that you'll enjoy this. You always craved power and respect haven't you?" Sebastian teased and ruffled his hair.

Ciel gave him a small scowl as his new subjects lined up in front of him.

**XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

"What's happening tomorrow?" Ciel asked. Sebastian was finally carrying him back to his room. Those courtiers had taken their sweet time in showing their allegiance to him, which obviously made Sebastian happy. He on the other hand was sick of it after the tenth person. Which was bad because there were at least six hundred people in that room. He stifled a yawn.

"Are you tired? I imagine you would be," Sebastian chuckled. He then answered Ciel's question. "Don't worry about tomorrow, you'll see soon enough."

Ciel merely let out an annoyed grunt and shut his eyes. He opened them again as he remembered something he wanted to know.

"Sebastian, may I ask you something?" he asked, making sure to keep his tone polite.

"Yes, what is it?" Sebastian hummed happily.

"Do you know what happen to the servants? Or how Lizzie is doing?" he asked. If he had been gone as long as he thought he had, they would all be nervous wrecks. Suddenly, he felt the atmosphere change from easy and lazy to dark and ominous. Sebastian put him down and grabbed his wrists.

"Listen to me, Ciel," he growled, leaning in close. "I want you to forget everyone you knew in your human life. They are no longer important and do not effect you. This is your life now and they are not apart of it!"

"How can I just forget them?" Ciel demanded, getting angry himself. "They all cared about me and are probably worried! And what about Lizzie? She's probably cry- Ow! Let go!" he screamed as he heard cracking in his wrists.

"I told you earlier not to defy me again," Sebastian said in a low voice. "Now I'll have to punish you."

**XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

**A/N: Ah, Ciel, you're really in for it now! I think I'll write some of next chaper in Sebby's POV. And what's going to happen tomorrow? What's Seb going to do to Ciel? Review if you want to find out!**


	10. Punishment

**Disclaimer: man nepieder nekas**

**A/N: Since I have a lot of free time right now, I'm going to go ahead write this chapter. Don't worry, you'll still get one on Saturday! :) And thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter! I was going to make Ciel's punishment really severe, but then I decided it was too early for that. Besides, my new one makes a lot more sense. And as promised some of this chapter will be in Sebby's POV. The last part will be back in Ciel's. Enjoy!**

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_It had been a typical night. _

_After spending all day training soldiers and going over battle plans(while sometimes having a liaison with a pretty girl if he had spare time) he told the nanny that she could leave for the night. He had his cute little brother, who was now two months old, sleep in his room. Which wasn't troublesome, for the infant slept very soundly. So he was usually free to make more plans or get a few hours of sleep. After the woman had deposited Ciel in the crib next to Sebastian's bed and left, the older prince sat on his desk and went over some papers. There were battle strategies, finance reports, designs for the ring he planned on making Ciel-_

"_Waaaaaaah! Waaaaaaaaah!"_

_He looked up from his papers, startled by Ciel's crying. In less than a second, he made his way to the crib and picked his brother up. He was truly shocked, for he never heard his brother cry before. He made sure the infant was always well fed, comfortable, and had plenty of toys. So what was causing him to cry now? Perhaps he injured himself somehow?_

_He put the boy down on the bed and unwrapped the soft blanket he was wrapped in. He carefully examined the fragile pale skin. Demon infants were much more durable than human ones. He could even bounce Ciel on his head and the child would be perfectly fine(not that he would ever do that). But since they were much stronger they were more prone to injuries. Most demon children went through a phase where they tested their powers on themselves, which always caused wounds. But Ciel was still too young for that. Besides, his body looked to be in perfect condition._

_Sebastian carefully re-wrapped him and held him against his shoulder. He began to coo at him and rub his back. "What's wrong, Ciel?" he asked gently."You can't possibly be hungry. Your nanny always makes sure feed you right before you go to sleep. You're not too tightly wrapped, your crib is lined with the softest fabrics available, and you should be tired enough to sleep. So why are you so upset?" _

_He tried to soothe the infant for hours, but nothing seemed to calm him. He cried if Sebastian held him, if he put him down, if he tried singing to him, if it was quiet, if he tried to feed him, if he tried to give him a warm bath, and if he tried wrapping him in a different blanket. He finally put his squalling brother back on the bed while he paced around it and clutched his thick black hair._

_What was he supposed to do? The nanny had gone to visit her sister, so she wouldn't be back until morning. And he definitely didn't want to call someone to help him. The last thing he needed was for someone to say that the prince was mistreating his baby brother. What did other people do to discipline their young? Most parents and older siblings would usually give an unruly child a small(or large, depending on what they did) smack. And since he was both an older sibling and surrogate parent, Sebastian decided that he should try it to. _

_He put Ciel up against his shoulder and gave him a firm slap on his bottom. At first, the child cried louder, but after Sebastian did it again he quieted down to a whimper. Sebastian smiled in relief and repositioned his brother in his arms so that he could rock him._

"_See now, Ciel? Isn't it much better not to cry? Especially when I'm busy and you have no real reason to..."Sebastian murmured. Ciel buried his face in the older prince's chest and quickly fell asleep. Sebastian chuckled and put him back down in the crib. It appeared that his brother would need to be spanked every once in awhile. And if he threw tantrums like that when he was older, Sebastian would be glad to do it._

**XxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

Sebastian remembered that night as he looked at the stubborn child in front of him. He knew that Ciel was stubborn, but he didn't think he was foolish enough to bring up those idiot humans. _Especially_ right after he told him not to think about them. Fine, he could understand why Ciel might be curious about them, but what did it really matter? He wasn't ever going to see them again. He barely talked to the servants and was annoyed by Lau and the Indians(oh, how he hated it when that brat prince Soma called Ciel _his _little brother!). And he seemed to barely tolerate that stupid girl he was forced to be engaged to. Honestly, didn't she had realize that Ciel had more important things to do than put up with her disgusting obsession with "cuteness"?

He could offer this child anything and anyone in the world. He waited many lifetimes to see him again, only to be treated like garbage all throughout their contract. He designed a room just to his taste. He gave him luxuries that were only dreamed of in this realm. He just made hundreds of people swear to be loyal to him. And this is how the little brat repaid him? By going against his orders and back talking him? Oh yes, he was going to have to be punished, indeed.

The king smirked as he thought of the perfect punishment for his spoiled brother. He didn't want to hurt him too badly, but he wanted to put him in his place. He grabbed the protesting child and flung him over his shoulder. To mock him further, Sebastian started to whistle a joyful tune. He only smirked more as Ciel began to call him names and pound on his back. How very childish.

He quickly reached the silver door that led to Ciel's room. After locking it behind him, he quickly walked over to the bed. He sat down and layed Ciel face down on his lap. "If you want to act like a child, than I'll punish you like a child," Sebastian said, his voice full of mirth. Ciel began to struggle when he realized what the demon had in mind. Sebastian only had to use two fingers to hold him down, which he knew humiliated the child. _But, really, it's about time he lost some of that damn pride_, Sebastian thought.

"Are you ready~?" Sebastian asked cheerfully. How many times had he imagined doing this while he was playing butler?

"Wa-wait, stop- Ah!" Ciel cried as Sebastian brought his hand down on his bottom – hard.

"Actually, I think you should count them," Sebastian snickered. He had to smack Ciel harder until he finally complied. After ten more hits with the now red-faced child counting them, Sebastian finally stopped. He put his poor brother back on his bed and smirked again when he saw him wince.

He rested a hand on Ciel's shoulder. "Well, Ciel, did you learn anything?" he asked.

He could see Ciel fighting with himself. The boy didn't want to admit defeat, but he also didn't want to be spanked by his former butler again. After a few moments, he finally whispered "Yes."

Sebastian was definitely having fun with this. "And what did you learn?"

Ciel muttered something incoherent. Sebastian sighed and said "Tell you what, if you say 'I'm sorry I disobeyed you, my dearest older brother and my sovereign. Please forgive me', I will drop this and let you go to bed."

After the boy remained silent, the demon squeezed his shoulder harder. "Well?" he demanded.

Ciel took a deep breath and spoke in a loud but forced voice. "I'm sorry I disobeyed you, my dearest older brother and my sovereign. Please forgive me!"

Sebastian chuckled again. "Oh, you're acting skills are atrocious! But I suppose it will do for now." He quickly changed Ciel in to his nightshirt and tucked him into the bed. He then quickly changed into his own black nightshirt and crawled in beside his brother, snuggling close and embracing him tightly.

"Sebastian, may I ask you something?" Ciel asked timidly after a few moments of silence.

After what happened earlier, Sebastian would have said no, but Ciel sounded like he had learned his lesson. "Yes?" he replied softly.

"Why are you staying in here? You have your own room don't you?" Ciel inquired.

Even after all this time, his heart melted at the sight of his brother's adorable little pout. "I want to be near you, Ciel. I know you don't like physical affection, but I love you and I've missed you so much. How would you feel if Vincent and Rachel Phantomhive came back from the grave, but they wouldn't let you show them affection?" he said in a somewhat pleading voice(which shocked Ciel). He tilted Ciel's head up and gazed into his sapphire eyes. "I know you're still adjusting, but could you please just humor me for awhile?"

"Y...yes," Ciel replied hesitantly. "I think I can try."

Sebastian smiled and ran his fingers through Ciel's soft blue hair. "Alright, let us rest now. You have a big day tomorrow, after all." They both quickly fell asleep.

**XxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

The next morning proceeded as the previous one had. Sebastian bathed him(and had very nearly gotten into the tub with him) and dressed him in a smart looking suit. But before they left, Sebastian pulled out a small glass vial filled with a dark burgundy liquid.

"What is that? Blood?" Ciel asked incredulously.

"No, silly boy, but it is close," Sebastian replied. He held the vial close to Ciel's face. "This is a soul."

"A soul?" Ciel echoed, shocked. He didn't imagine a soul could look anything like that.

As if reading his mind, Sebastian said "Souls that are sent here can either be put in human form so that they can be tortured, or they can be turned into this so that they can be eaten."

"But I thought you had to form a contract in order to eat a soul," Ciel said while furrowing his brow.

"No, that only if there's a certain human's soul that you wish to acquire," Sebastian informed him. "This one has been tortured for about two months now. He was a bank teller who killed his cousin in cold blood. Apparently the cousin had been having an affair with this man's wife, but the man twas caught and executed. Now instead of having a happy life, he's become your breakfast."

Before Ciel had time to react, Sebastian pried his mouth open, poured the contents of the vial into it, and then firmly held the boys jaws together. "Swallow it," he commanded in a voice that left no room for argument. Ciel was actually surprised at how it tasted. It was savory, but seemed to have a hint of cinnamon and pepper in it. But still, he didn't want to think of what it used to be and quickly swallowed it.

Sebastian smiled and put an arm around the boy. "Not bad for a light breakfast, is it not?" he asked casually. He then pulled a piece of black fabric out of his pocket and tied it around Ciel's eyes.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?" Ciel demanded, as expected.

Sebastian laughed and lifted him up. "I have a surprise for you, but I don't want you to see it until I want you to. Can you be a good boy and do this for me?"

Ciel huffed and muttered "Yes, very well. Though you know how I hate surprises, Sebastian."

Sebastian just smiled and kissed his nose before carrying Ciel back to the throne room. Once again, he sat on his throne and put Ciel on his lap. He then quickly took Ciel's blindfold off. Ciel gasped at what he saw. There was a long table on the right side of the room that was filled with what he assumed were souls. All the tapestries on the wall had been turned blue, black, and silver. All the people(things) from yesterday were there, but dressed in even nicer close. They all had either a wrapped package, or some sort of oddity with them.

"Happy birthday, Prince Ciel!" they cheered.

"Happy birthday, dear little brother," Sebastian whispered in his ear.

**XxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

**A/N: Yay, chapter ten is done! *Does the happy dance* Did any of you guys see the ending of this chapter coming? **

**So, how will Ciel react? What will Sebby give him as a birthday gift? What new light will be shed? And will Ciel find a reason to keep a secret from Sebastian? If you want to find out, review!**


	11. Secret

**Disclaimer: je ne sais pas quoi que ce soit propre**

**A/N: Salutations or something like that! Thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter. I'm so glad to hear that people like this story. There have been times where I've thought this was a stupid idea, so the reassurance really helps. Also, I've been thinking that I should start making Sebastian a bit darker. I mean, he is a demon... Idk, what do you guys think? Once again, this chapter starts right off where the last one ended.**

**XxxxxxxxxxxxX**

"What the hell?" Ciel exclaimed. He turned to face the demon who held him. "Sebastian, what's going on?"

Sebastian chuckled and rubbed his back soothingly. "Well, Ciel, I thought I just made it obvious, but apparently I need to explain it to you." He smiled at the now scowling boy. "It is December 14th, your thirteenth birthday. Indeed, your human birthday is the same day as your real one. I was really quite surprised when I learned this for reincarnation often doesn't work out so perfectly. But I suppose you're a special case, hm?"

Ciel gaped at this information. _His birthday?_ He had completely lost track of time! "How long was I... unconscious?" he asked.

"Oh, it was about four days," Sebastian replied. "Remember, we completed the contract on the 9th. And I must add, it is so like you to forget about something as important as your own birthday. Isn't it the most exciting day of the year for most children?"

"I am not a child," Ciel immediately responded out of habit. He ignored Sebastian's snicker as his thoughts drifted elsewhere. _Sebastian said it was my thirteenth birthday, didn't he? How old was I when I ...left here?_ He was having a hard time not believing Sebastian's story at this point, so he voiced his thoughts to his supposed "brother".

Sebastian seemed pleased at his inquiry. "You were exactly four hundred when you were taken from me," he told the surprised child.

"Four _hundred_?" Ciel repeated, aghast. He never would have imagined living that long. "So did I actually manage to reach adulthood?" he asked hopefully.

"Um, no, actually," Sebastian said with a slight smirk. "You see, demon children age much more slowly than human ones. And after they're fully grown, they stop aging. If you see someone who looks old, it's only because they want to. You looked the same age then as you do now."

Ciel did some quick math in his mind. "You mean I'll only age about every thirty years?" he asked. He'd die if he had to stay in a child's body that long!

"More or less," Sebastian replied. "It took me a thousand years to get to look like I do now. I even had to make myself look older so I could pass as a butler for you." Ciel looked closely and realized that the demon indeed looked about five years younger here than he did in the human realm.

"What year was it when I, uh, died?" Ciel asked. He still wasn't sure how to put it.

Sebastian paused a moment before answering, as if he trying to remember the date(knowing the intelligence of the demon, Ciel figured that he was just trying to be funny). "Ah, yes!" he suddenly exclaimed. "It was in 1348."

Ciel recognized the date. "Isn't that when the Black Death began to spread?" he asked hesitantly. _Ominous feeling, we meet again..._

Sebastian smiled maliciously, his fangs showing through his lip. "Indeed it was. I'm afraid I didn't take the news of you leaving me very well. I took it out on a few people. Actually, _a lot_ of people."

Ciel repressed a shudder. He was the reason that horrific disease came about? He then actually did shudder, for he realized that he didn't care.

"Is your curiosity sated for now?" Sebastian asked. "Because I believe I was throwing you a party."

Ciel frowned again. "Yes, and why are you doing this? You know I hate parties."

Sebastian sighed. He should have known that Ciel would be difficult. "Two reasons. One, you are a prince and this kind of thing is expected. Two, I haven't celebrated your birth in a long time and I want to do so now." He narrowed his eyes at the boy. "Is that a problem?"

"No, it isn't," Ciel replied quietly. He decided it was best not to fight Sebastian on this.

"Good!" Sebastian said cheerfully. "But first, there is someone I want you to meet. Cornelius, come here!" he called. The crowd parted to let a man through. He appeared to be old, with a long white beard, bald head, and a purple robe. He solemnly made his way over to the royals and dutifully kissed their rings.

"It is an honor to see Your Majesties once more," he said in an expressionless voice.

"It must be," Sebastian said, "for you were gone doing who-knows-what for so long, I doubt you saw much of anybody. Also, what is with that appearance?"

"I find that it suits me, Your Majesty," the man replied. "I was never comfortable with the young, attractive look that so many others favor. Besides, I'm certainly old enough to look like this."

"Hm, I suppose so," Sebastian said lazily. "Let me get to the point. Ciel, this is Cornelius. He is one of the oldest and wisest men in the kingdom, though somewhat of a recluse. He has been a great advisor to me for many years. I brought him here today to help you with some things."

The man bowed to Ciel. "It is a great pleasure to remake your acquaintance, young prince," he said.

"N-nice to meet you," Ciel replied. He didn't know why, but a feeling of dread came over him when he looked at this man. It was like something was trying to warn him of danger.

"He is going to help you unlock your memories, Ciel," Sebastian continued.

"How is he going to do that?" Ciel asked skeptically.

"It is a simple method," the man replied. "I'll simply cast a small spell that helps with memory on you, then I'll show you things and images from your past. This should quickly trigger your old memories. Your father's wicked group wasn't as powerful as they thought they were. Instead of erasing your memories, they merely suppressed them. You've actually been getting bits and pieces of them in your dreams, haven't you?"

Ciel nodded, and he felt Sebastian's gaze on him. _Great, now I'll have to remember every detail about those dreams and tell him about it. And how did this man even know about it?, _he thought.

"Alright, we shall start on that in a few days," Sebastian said. "You may go now if you wish, Cornelius." The man bowed again and quickly left the room. Sebastian then turned to the crowd. "I see you all remembered to bring a gift. I trust it was something thoughtful?"

Ciel was in for another long day.

**XxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

Though Ciel truly thought that most of his gifts were nice, some were quite...odd. From the women, he had mostly obtained clothing. He now had a plethora of suits, robes, capes, hats, shoes, and even some jewelry. He was surprised that all of it suited his taste. _Sebastian must have told them what I like_, he thought. Though one girl had given him a little golden ball that could serve as a map to anywhere. When he thanked her, she gave him a shy smile.

From the men, he got an assortment of weapons, books, and strange animals. The weapons looked like medieval torture devices and absolutely lethal. He wondered when the occasion would arise that he would actually need those. He wasn't very excited about the books, for they were written in many strange looking languages(Sebastian promised to teach him those later on). And he had no ides what he was supposed to do with those creatures. One looked like a bird's skeleton, only it was still moving around. Another looked like it was part crocodile, part monkey, and part hawk. And the last one was so terrifying that he couldn't even look at it.

After he had finally received everything, Ciel was ready to call it a day. But apparently Sebastian had other plans. He re-blindfolded the boy and started to carry him somewhere.

"Hey, what are you doing now?" Ciel cried.

"I'm taking you to see my special present to you," Sebastian answered happily. "I think that you'll quite enjoy it."

Ciel sighed and relaxed in the demon's arms. He hated to admit it, but it was quite comfortable to be held by Sebastian. Pleasant, even. He unconsciously snuggled closer to him and felt Sebastian's chest rumble with pleasure. After a few more minutes, Sebastian finally stopped walking.

"Alright, Ciel, are you ready?" Sebastian asked eagerly.

"Yes, I suppose," Ciel answered in a passive voice.

Sebastian pulled off his blindfold and the child almost screamed at what he saw. There were at least a hundred people being hung up by hooks on a stone wall. They were covered in whip marks, cuts, burns, bodily fluids, bruises, stab wounds, and blood. Only a few of them were barely clothed, but the rags they wore looked about to fall off. They were all screaming in agony as a horde of monstrous looking beings tortured them mercilessly.

"Sebastian, what the hell is this?" Ciel whispered. Why would the demon think that he would enjoy watching this?

Sebastian smirked and tapped his chin. "Oh, you don't recognize these pieces of filth, brother? These people are everyone who has caused you harm in your human life. A majority of them are the cult members, but perhaps you can recognize the others. That lady there is the nanny who used to smack you when you were a toddler. Those men in the corner are the ones who tried to rob the mansion a few years back. That group over is from the mafia that kidnapped you last year. It goes on like that."

Ciel looked at the scene in front of him in a new light. This was something he'd always wanted to see: his enemies being humiliated and tortured. He felt a sort of sadistic delight in watching them pleading for mercy, only to be tortured more. He shuddered with happiness when realized that this was their eternal punishment. They would pay for their crimes against him for eternity.

Sebastian leaned down to whisper in his ear. "Do you like it, little brother? I had this set up years ago, the very night you summoned me. When I realized how great your hatred was, I decided to build a memento to it. I even placed this by the gardens so that you can see it whenever you look out your window. So tell me, do you like it?"

"Yes," Ciel breathed. He clutched Sebastian tighter. "I like it a lot."

Sebastian smiled maliciously, pleased to hear this. His Ciel was turning back into a demon.

**XxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

Ciel sighed as he was put back down on his bed. He was feeling odd. He wasn't necessarily sleepy, just tired.

"We demons do not require sleep," Sebastian told him as he took his shoes off, "but we do sleep as a luxury and to help replenish our energy. As you are young, it helps your health to sleep a few nights a week. Especially since you are in the habit of it."

Suddenly, there was aloud crash from down the hallway. Sebastian jumped up with a curse. "Ciel, stay right here," he said sternly. "I'll be back in but a moment." He quickly left the room.

Ciel felt that he should be worried, but he wasn't. He was sure that Sebastian could handle whatever that was. His only problem was that his cravat was really beginning to bother him.

"It can't be too hard to pull off," he mused. And after a few tugs and almost strangling himself, he finally got it off. He open the wardrobe to put it back in there. Something at the very back of it caught his eye. After putting the piece of fabric back in its proper place, he reached back and got the mysterious object. It was a plain black box, the kind a new hat would come in. Overcome with curiosity, he opened it.

To his surprise, it was his old clothing! He hesitantly touched the blue material, as if to verify that it was real. It even smelled like his old home. Like tea, roses, and ink. He lifted the jacket up to get a better look when he heard something jingle. He went through the pockets and found something hard. When he pulled it out, he almost cried. It was the locket that Lizzie, dear, sweet, Lizzie, had given him as a birthday present. How ironic that he should rediscover this on his birthday! He opened it and gazed at the contents of it. _Now I'll always have a way to remember you_, he thought. _I swear, someday I'll find a way to see you again._

When he heard footsteps approaching, he shut the box but hid the locket in another compartment in the wardrobe, just in case Sebastian decided to get rid of the box one day. He went back over to the bed as Sebastian came back into the room, his expression angry.

"What happened?" Ciel asked.

"Oh, some idiot servant got in a fight with his girlfriend and broke an expensive vase," Sebastian huffed. "Needless to say, they were both sufficiently punished."

Ciel nodded, and hoped that the secret he now had didn't show on his face.

**XxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

**A/N: Yay, another chapter down. I'm not sure I'm happy with the way I wrote this, but oh well. How'd you guys like Sebby's gift? I guess it was sweet of him...in his own way. Next chapter will be Seb and Ciel getting back into their old routine and whatever else I can think of.**

**REVIEEEEEW!**


	12. Lessons

**Disclaimer: Ich besitze kein nichts**

**A/N: Hey, everybody! Thanks for all the reviews! We're now up to over fifty. I'm so happy! Ahem, anyway, this chapter will mainly focus on our favorite demons getting some bonding time. It's about time we had some, and I don't know what else to write about right now. And you guys might want to be careful about how much you gush over Ciel. You never know when a certain demon might be listening... Enjoy!**

**XxxxxxxxxxxxX**

Sebastian let Ciel stay in his room for the next two days. He wanted the boy to adjust to his surroundings more before Sebastian started to teach – or _reteach_ – him everything about the demon world. Ciel was glad for this. He was becoming overwhelmed by how much his life had changed. To go from being a human Earl to a demon prince...he could still hardly believe it. Nor could he accept the fact that he was related to his former butler. But why would Sebastian treat him so affectionately if he wasn't? It made it even worse that the demon was now in charge of him and Ciel couldn't make him leave.

He would never admit it, but he was feeling very homesick. He assumed that he had more power and authority now, but he still missed his old position. To police the underworld, have idiot servants who were eager to please him, and a dark butler with an ever present smirk. To have those idiot Indians, an infuriating Chinese man, a soft hearted inspector, and a laughing blond girl with pigtails. To be in his own familiar manor instead of this castle which he barely knew. It was a miracle that he could hide his thoughts from Sebastian. If the demon knew what he was thinking, he'd probably he punished again. He didn't like how protective his new "brother" was being of him. It seemed that he wanted Ciel to forget his human life entirely and focus on him. Honestly, didn't the demon realize that was something the boy just couldn't do? And that he didn't want to be held and coddled every moment of the day? The demon was treating him like a small child, and it was positively infuriating.

To pass the time he wandered through his room and went through his new things. All of it looked normal, but he got the feeling that there was something wrong with it all. As if none of it really belonged here. Well, since this was supposed to be the realm of eternal pain and torment, he supposed none of it did. From what he'd seen of the courtiers, nobody else dressed as finely as him(except for Sebastian) and nobody else wore blue. Most clothing was black, red, and purple from what he'd seen. He wondered if it had always been that way or if Sebastian was just trying to make him more comfortable by giving him things with his favorite color.

He decided to pull back the thick black curtains and saw that almost the whole wall was made of spotless glass. There was a glass door in the middle of it that led out to a balcony. After gaining Sebastian's approval, he walked onto it and took in his surroundings. He could see for miles around! He could see the castle grounds, the surrounding city, and even past the giant walls that surrounded it to where souls were being tortured. But what amazed him most was the giant garden beneath him. It seemed to stretch on for at least five miles and was filled with all sorts of flowers, hedges, and trees. There was even a labyrinth in the center of it. The steams of the flowers were black and the petals ranged from black, red, purple, orange, gold, silver, and dark blue. The trunks of the trees were a surprising bright white and the leaves were a dark gray and hung like cobwebs. It had a beautiful, yet disturbing effect. And as promised, the wall containing his enemies was only a few feet from it. It looked like one of them lost their foot.

He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see Sebastian standing behind him. "Do you like it?" he asked. "It's one of the most beautiful things in this realm. I had it planted a few days after you went away. Our father never was a fan of beauty. He loved to destroy things like this."

Ciel simply nodded, not knowing what to say to that. A thought suddenly came to him. "Sebastian, where is your room?" he asked. The demon had been staying in his room all this time so it never occurred to the boy that the demon might have somewhere else to go.

Sebastian raised an eyebrow and pointed to the right. Ciel looked over and saw an identical balcony just a few feet away. "It's right next to yours," Sebastian answered. "Why do you ask?"

Ciel shrugged. "I was just curious," he replied.

Sebastian gave him a small smile. "Well, if you're done looking, I think it's about time we put you to bed. On the morrow you shall begin taking lessons. Since you haven't recovered your memories yet, I'm afraid that you'll have to be retaught everything. But don't worry, I'm sure that you'll learn fast."

Ciel let out a small yawn. "Alright, that sounds fine," he consented. He then let Sebastian lead him to his bed.

**XxxxxxxxxxxxX**

"_Big brother, what is that?" the child, who appeared to be about nine years of age, asked the man beside him. They were standing in what resembled a desert with red sand. Every few feet there was a deep pit filled with hot magma. Inside the pits were the souls of sinners who were particularly wrathful in their lifetimes. There were several demons carrying new souls to the pits and carelessly tossing them in. Though sometimes they would hold the soul by their ankle and dangle them above the pit for a few moments. They enjoyed hearing the screams of the soul when it saw the bubbling magma and burning souls and smelled the horrible stench of burning flesh and sulfur. _

_But all of this was a familiar scene to the child. He was referring to the large red bird flying in circles above the pits. It had a sharp beak,extremely long wings, and a tiger's tale. When it opened it's beak, something that sounded like a strangled moan came out instead of a bird call. It's eyes, which were a startling electric blue, never seemed to leave the child who was pointing at it._

_The man next to the boy, who was dawning a cloak made out of black feathers, looked at the bird carefully for a few moments. "It is called a Gretyph," he finally answered. "It only appears every hundred years or so to eat some of the most tortured souls from the pits. It is said that whoever spots it first will have a very complex life, but it all will be worth it in the end. It sounds very ridiculous if you ask me."_

_The boy looked at the bird with a thoughtful expression for a few moments. "I think I was the first one to see it," he said hesitantly. "Does that mean my life will be hard?"_

_The man pulled the boy to him and wrapped him in his cloak. "Don't worry, my beloved brother. I would never allow you anything but the easiest life possible. I'll always make sure that your problems are solved, one way or another. You do believe me, don't you?"_

_The boy wrapped his arms around the man's torso and smiled slightly. "Of course I do, Sebastian. You never lie. I'll always be safe with you."_

**XxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

Ciel stifled a yawn as Sebastian dressed him in a dark gray and black suit. He had awoken the boy earlier than usual so he could get a head start on his lessons. Ciel wondered what he was going to be taught and who his tutor would be, but he figured it would easier to just wait and see. It wasn't like he knew anybody well enough to recognize any names.

Sebastian handed him a vial, as he did every morning now. This one was filled with a light blue liquid. "You should enjoy this one. It was the soul of a kind, caring woman who's only offense was not having any beliefs. It should taste quite sweet," Sebastian informed him. Ciel was already used to this, so he slowly drank it and savored the flavor of it. It tasted like honey and strawberries with a hint of lime. _No wonder demons work so hard for the best souls. These things are delicious!,_ he thought.

"Now if you're ready, I'll take you to the tutoring room," Sebastian said while holding his arm out slightly. Ciel linked his arm with the demon's and they left the room. Sebastian guided him through several hallways decorated with grotesque looking paintings and torches. They finally stopped in front of a large stone door which Sebastian opened with a silver key. The room was a nice contrast to the hallways. It wasn't overly large, the walls were beige, there were several bookshelves against the left wall, a purple leather couch in the center of the room, a small table next to it, and two desks in the back. Sebastian led him to the couch and gestured for him to sit.

"Now, Ciel, I'm going to start off by instructing you on our basic mannerisms and customs. Then we shall move on to what souls receive what sort of punishment. Then I shall give you a violin lesson-"

"Wait!" Ciel interrupted. "_You're_ going to be tutoring me?"

Sebastian looked confused at his outburst. "Why, of course I am going to tutor you. Did I not tell you that you would start your lessons today?"

"Sebastian, I thought you said you were a king?" he asked, aghast. What was this demon playing at?

Sebastian looked even more confused. "Yes, Ciel, we established that fact days ago. Are you feeling quite alright?" He placed his hand on the child's forehead.

Ciel quickly moved away. "Let me rephrase that," he said coolly. "Since you are a king, don't you have anything better to do than teach me all day? You've been gone for three years. Surely you need to focus your attention on this kingdom?"

Sebastian just looked at him for a moment before smiling his eerily wide smile and pinching Ciel's cheek. "Oh, dear brother, that's nothing to worry about! I assure that this kingdom is running quite smoothly. These people know better than to incur my wrath. Besides, there is no one else who can teach you better than I can. And you're already used to my teaching methods."

Ciel frowned. "Is it that, or do you just not trust anybody else to be alone with me?" he asked scathingly.

The demon's smile did not falter. "That too," he replied. "Now if you would please take a seat at the table, we shall begin."

For the next five hours, Sebastian told him all about the culture of their race and how to torture souls. Ciel had to admit he was fascinated. It was more like Sebastian was telling him a story than actual facts. This was much more interesting than his old lessons, which were full of business, math, pointless art, and etiquette. Though perhaps this was only interesting because it was different.

"I believe that's enough for today," Sebastian finally said. He took off his glasses, which- _of course- _he had to put on. "So, tell me what you learned. I sincerely hope that you were paying attention."

Ciel smirked. "Actually, I did. It's a wonder because your voice usually lulls me right to sleep." At the demon's warning glance, he said "Alright, calm down. I learned that there are three levels in the hierarchy. The first hierarchy includes the highest fallen angels. Since we have power over them, we have power over the entire realm. The second one is responsible for causing natural disasters in the human realm and the third helps to govern the place. The rest torture souls and serve as pets."

"Very good!" Sebastian praised him. "Now what about torturing souls?"

"Unvirtuous pagans go to the first circle," Ciel said confidently. "They are not tortured per se, but they wander endlessly through a gray fog. Lecherous people go to the second circle where they're tossed around in a great wind. Gluttons go to the third circle where they have excrement rained down upon them. Greedy souls go to the fourth circle where they carry heavy sacks of gold. The wrathful souls go to the river Styx and eternally fight each other. Heretics go to the sixth circle where they are put in coffins and set on fire to burn forever. Violent people, suicides, and blasphemers go to the seventh circle where they are put in boiling blood, turned into trees, and wander in the hot sand. Panderers, seducers, flatterers, simonites, sorcerers, corrupt politicians, hypocrites, thieves, false counselors, liars, and falsifiers go to the eighth circle and have a variety of punishments. Souls who commited treachery go the ninth circle where they're imprisoned in ice."

Sebastian beamed and clapped his hands. "Oh, my little Ciel is so very smart! I honestly didn't expect you to remember all of that. Ah, and I was so looking forward to giving you a good whack on your palms."

Ciel scowled. "Yes, well, I suppose that will have to wait for another time."

Sebastian just smiled and and ran his fingers through the boy's hair. "I believe it is time for your violin lesson now."

Ciel blanched at this. He had never been exceptionally good at the instrument, or any sort of instrument for that matter. "Must I really?" he asked softly.

Sebastian nodded and guided him across the room. A music stand and a beautifully carved black violin were already waiting for him. He picked up the instrument and marveled at how light it was. _Or maybe I've just gotten stronger,_ he thought. He looked at the music sheet and grimaced.

"'The Devil's Trill'? Really, Sebastian?" he asked incredulously.

Sebastian smirked at held his finger to his lips. "Haven't you ever heard that the violin is the Devil's instrument? It's rather fitting to play the Devil's music on it, is it not?"

Ciel carefully read over the music. "I can't play this. It's too hard," he said after a moment.

Sebastian hummed in disapproval. "How do you know if you don't try? With your heightened senses, this should be a simple task." When he saw the boys hesitation, he sighed and said "Tell you what, if you can play it perfectly than I shall let you request something of me. If you play it imperfectly, then I shall be able to make a request of you. How does that sound?"

Ciel didn't like the sound of it, but he wasn't one to back down from a challenge. Besides, if he won he could get the demon to stop touching him so much. "Fine, I'll accept you bet, Sebastian."

Sebastian smirked and gestured to the music. "Proceed, then."

Ciel played to the best of his ability and did a good job, but he still hit a few sour notes. Every time the demon heard one, he would smirk, which made Ciel only more frustrated. When he finished, Sebastian said "That was rather good, but alas, it wasn't perfect. So I believe that I am entitled to make a request of you. Are you going to be mature and accept this or are you going to act like a child?"

Ciel forced his face to stay composed and looked Sebastian in the eye. "Fine, I lost our bet. What is it you request of me?"

Sebastian looked to the side and tapped his chin a few times. "Ah, I know!" he exclaimed. He bent down to Ciel's level and put his hands on his shoulders. "From now on when we're in private, I want you to start referring to me as your brother."

Ciel was startled. He didn't expect to hear that. "What for?" he asked.

Sebastian smiled at him sadly. "It will help you accept the fact that we're brother, for one. And I haven't heard you say it in so very long, it would be wonderful to hear again. So what do you say?"

Ciel took a deep breath. "Fine," he sighed.

Sebastian smiled and squeezed his shoulders. "Excellent. Now what do you say we take a stroll in the gardens? There are certain flower patterns that I believe you will admire."

Ciel once again took the demon's arm. "That sounds wonderful...brother."

He had to admit, it made him happy to see Sebastian smile brightly at that.

**XxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

**A/N: And another chapter down! I hoped you guys liked that bit o' fluff. I got the information about hell from Dante's Inferno. Though I changed the first circle just a tad. Okay, seriously, if pagans who were born before Jesus's time went to Hell because they didn't know Jesus, than shouldn't _everyone_ who was born before Jesus be in Hell? *facepalm* Anyway, next chapter will be about them working on Ciel's memories. Remember to revieeeeeew!**


	13. Memories

**Disclaimer: Ik heb geen eigen niets**

**A/N: Hi again! Thanks to everyone who reviewed and stuff! I was thinking of incorporating Claude and Alois in this story for, like, a chapter. What do you guys think? Anyway, this chapter will focus on Ciel's memories and Sebby has something up his sleeve. TALLY HO!**

**XxxxxxxxxxxxX**

Ciel managed to wake up before Sebastian one morning. He wasn't really surprised. For the past week the dem- his _brother _had been busy tutoring him, showing him around the castle, meeting with the nobles, making sure souls were assigned the proper punishment, and trying to find him some worthy servants. _No wonder he was so good at being the perfect butler. He's used to working all day. Or maybe that's just because I'm here,_ he thought. He didn't know if Sebastian ever slept back at the Phantomhive manor since there was always something to fix or somebody to kill for his little lord. Being back in his real home must be wonderful.

_I wonder how he would react if he knew I still thought about him as a butler. Well, it's not like I should immediately forget. How long have I been here? About a fortnight?,_he guessed. He suddenly started to feel hot. For some reason the intense heat in this realm didn't bother him. Sebastian said it was because of his royal blood. But now he was starting to feel very uncomfortable. He realized what the problem was with a sigh. Sebastian was holding the boy tightly in his arms and his face was pressed into the older demon's chest. He slowly and carefully turned him self so that his back was facing Sebastian. _Ah, that's much better_, he thought as he instantly felt cooler. He felt Sebastian stir but the demon stayed asleep.

Ciel smiled in relief and looked around the room. After seeing how other people in this realm lived, he realized how far Sebastian was going to make him comfortable. Or was it that all royalty here had such luxuries? The only way for him to find out was to see Sebastian's room, but he didn't have the nerve to ask. He figured if his...brother didn't already show it to him than he wasn't meant to see it. Oh well, maybe one day.

He wanted to get up and open the curtains so he could look outside, but the restricting arms around him wouldn't budge. He sighed in frustration and scowled at the wall. He really, _really, _wished Sebastian would stop clinging to him. Suddenly, he heard a soft rustling. He looked back over to the curtains and saw that they had opened an inch. He wondered how that happened. Surely they hadn't moved on their own? _It was your own power that moved it_, a small voice told him. Ciel forced himself not to gasp in surprise. He really moved the curtains with nothing but his will? He stared at the curtains and thought about them opening. To his satisfaction, they slowly inched apart until the entire wall was revealed.

Ciel looked at the sky. Usually a dark reddish-orange, it was now a dark purple. He had never seen the sky here at this time of night since Sebastian usually had him in bed by then. To the unfortunate souls who ended up here, the sky was disturbing, but Ciel thought it was beautiful. He always liked dark, intense colors, something that bothered his mother and fiancée to no end. Oh no, their little Ciel always had to look cute and adorable. He laughed and shook his head at the memories.

He then saw something that made him gasp loudly. On the very edge of the balcony were two glowing green dots. When he looked closer he realized that they were eyes. Eyes that looked very familiar... For a moment, he thought they were Lizzie's. But they looked far too inhuman to ever be hers. _Cloaks...circle...chanting...separation..._

"Ciel? Are you alright?" came Sebastian's concerned voice. He turned the child's body back to his and held his chin.

Ciel just shook his head. "It's nothing. Just a bad dream," he replied.

Sebastian frowned at him for a moment before sighing. "Alright, then. And why are the curtains open?" he asked irritably. He moved his hand in a swift motion and they instantly shut back.

Ciel just closed his eyes and snuggled against his new brother's chest. As of late, he didn't mind it when the demon touched him or asked Ciel for a hug. The problem was that the elder didn't know when to let go. He let out a yelp when Sebastian laid down on top of him.

"It's still early," Sebastian said sleepily. "We can rest for a few more hours." He put his weight down on the boy and nuzzled against him before drifting off.

Ciel found that he couldn't sleep after seeing those eyes, so he just stared at the ceiling for the next few hours.

**XxxxxxxxxxxxX**

"Um, brother, where are we going?" Ciel asked. Sebastian had walked past their tutoring room and was now leading him up a long flight of stone stairs. As they climbed higher, he developed a sense of unease and squeezed Sebastian's hand tighter.

Sebastian hummed happily and stroked Ciel's hand with his thumb. "Well, little brother," he answered "we're going to see Cornelius. Now that you've settled in properly we're going to start trying to revive your memories. Aren't you excited?"

Truthfully, he hadn't really thought about his past memories. He was too busy taking in his new surroundings and relations. "I...guess," he muttered.

The older demon raised an eyebrow at him. "Really? We're going to unlock four hundred years worth of memories and you _guess_ that you're excited? Oh well, I suppose my little Ciel doesn't want to remember his life with his big brother. That's what I get for daring to hope that my only family member would want to remember all the time we spent together." He sighed dramatically and put his hand to his forehead.

"Sebastian...," Ciel groaned. He hated it when the demon was unnecessarily dramatic.

They finally reached the top of the staircase. To the left was a long hallway that had a door every ten feet. They went down to the sixth door which Sebastian unlocked with a key. Ciel was irritated to see that another long, dark hallway behind the door.

Sebastian chuckled at his expression. "I'm afraid that Cornelius much enjoys his privacy. Really, if this wasn't so important, I would have him beat for making us come to him," he said.

After a few more minutes of walking they finally came to a bolted door. Sebastian knocked twice and the door quickly opened. The room inside looked like a demented library. There were many bookshelves and large tables with open books and papers scattered on them. On the shelves were dangerous looking tools and different sized jars filled with strange liquids and what looked to be body parts. The skeletons of large, strange animals hung from the ceiling. There was a foul odor coming from an unknown location. And there was a barely noticeable door by one of the book shelves.

"Cornelius, we're here!" Sebastian called. "Come and present yourself at once!"

The door by the bookshelf opened and the old looking man quickly came toward them. He knelt at their feet and kissed their rings. "Your Majesties," he greeted. "It is an honor for you to come to my chambers. I profusely apologize for not being able to come to you, but there are some tools that I need for this that I cannot allow to leave the room."

Sebastian merely made a noise to show that he was listening while Ciel stayed silent. He couldn't think of anything at all to say to this man. It was like his mind went blank whenever they met. After Cornelius saw that the royals weren't going to say anything, he decided to move things along.

"If you two would please have a seat, I will explain what my plans are," the man said, trying to keep his tone as courteous as possible. The king was known to demand the utmost respect and obedience at all times.

"Fine," Sebastian said. He guided Ciel to the lease cluttered table in the room and made sure he was seated comfortably before sitting himself. Cornelius tried to hide his surprise. He'd never seen the dark monarch act so cautiously toward anyone before. In the past, he knew that the older prince treated the younger very kindly and gently, but now he was treating him like spun glass. Clearly, the king was not good at dealing with loss.

He quickly composed himself and took a seat across from the other demons. He decided it would be best to address the prince directly. "Now, young prince, even though I've explained some of this to you before, I'll do so in greater detail now. I'm going to cast a temporary spell on you that will help open your mind. Then I will give you a small bit of potion to drink that helps memories. After that, I'll ask if you if any memories have already come back to you. Then I shall start trying to trigger your memories. We won't do too much in one day because I don't want to overwhelm you. Does that sound satisfactory?"

"Yes," he replied simply after a moment. It wasn't like he knew any other way to do this.

Cornelius suddenly looked apprehensive and visibly gulped. He slowly turned to address Sebastian. "Your M-Majesty, would it be s-so much to ask that you wait in a-another room until we finish h-here?" he asked nervously. When the king gave him a dangerous look, he quickly went on. "It's just that talking about memories like this might make the prince uncomfortable and he might be more c-comfortable if you l-l-left?" He could barely get that last word out. Everyone knew that the brothers had not parted from each other since they returned.

Sebastian looked at him thoughtfully for a moment before turning to look at Ciel. "I'll stay for the first few moments and leave when you start on the memory recovery. I hope you don't mind me going into your personal chambers?"

"O-Of course not, Your Majesty! You may come and go as you please!" the poor man exclaimed. Ciel hid a smirk. This man seemed to be terrified of Sebastian!

"I'm glad to hear that," Sebastian said smoothly.

"Yes, well, shall we continue?" Cornelius, who seemed to have regained his composure, said.

Sebastian simply waved his hand and the man scurried to gather the things he would need. He came back with a cup of purple liquid and a box. "Now with your permission, my lord, I shall cast the spell." he said.

Ciel nodded his consent. Cornelius slowly brought his hands up and placed them on the prince's cheek. "I'm going to need you to relax and look right into my eyes," he instructed. Ciel hesitantly did as he was told. He smiled softly when he felt Sebastian squeeze his hand reassuringly. Cornelius started to chant in a foreign tongue. Ciel couldn't think of a language that even remotely resembled it. After just a few moments Cornelius stopped chanting and handed Ciel the cup.

"Please drink this quickly, Your Majesty. It will work better that way," he said.

Ciel sniffed at it cautiously before gulping the thick liquid down. It didn't have any real taste, but it gave him an unpleasant feeling. He gasped when the room started to become blurry. Sebastian squeezed his hand harder and Cornelius told him that this was a normal side effect and it would stop soon. When it did, he calmly sat up and told the old man to continue.

Cornelius smiled slightly at him. "Alright, so you have had some memories already come back to you, yes?" he questioned.

"Yes, I believe so," Ciel said slowly. "Though at the time I thought they were merely odd dreams. I never imagined that they could have something to do with a past life."

"What do you remember?" Cornelius asked gently. Ciel struggled to remember everything and tried to ignore Sebastian's gaze boring into him.

"I remember that in one of them, I was very small and was hiding from some annoying people on a bench. Then Sebastian came and found me," he said quietly. He could feel the happiness radiating off the older demon as his name was mentioned. He quickly went on. "In another one...I...I ran off with some girl and she took me to a room full of cloaked people who...who cast a spell on me..." Sebastian growled and pulled the boy onto his lap. "Oh, Ciel," he sighed and hugged the boy to him. He didn't want Sebastian to hold him in front of Cornelius, but he knew that the elder needed reassurance that he was there.

"Anything else?" Cornelius asked softly.

"One more," Ciel murmured. "Sebastian and I were watching souls being tortured and I saw this giant red bird." He felt Sebastian stiffen and clutch him even tighter.

Cornelius silently recorded what Ciel said. He then turned back to Sebastian. "Your Majesty, would you please leave us now?"

Sebastian took Ciel's face in his hands and kissed his forehead. "I'll be in the next room if you need me," he whispered. "Good luck." He quickly put Ciel back in his chair and left the room.

"It seems hard on him to leave you," Cornelius observed.

"Yes," Ciel agreed quietly. Sebastian usually tried to keep him within his eyesight. This memory business must be very important to him.

Cornelius took the lid off the box and reached in. He pulled out a dark blue feather. "My prince, I want to to focus on this feather. What is the first thing that comes to mind when you see it?" he asked.

Ciel stared at it for a long moment before coming up with an answer. "A hat," he said.

"Anything else?" the man asked.

"And...laughter," he added.

"Good, now think about these three things," Cornelius said. "In what memory do you have a blue feather, a hat, and laughter?"

Ciel closed his eyes and concentrated. The feather...went in the hat...he was playing with it...Sebastian laughing... he gasped as the memory came to him.

"_Ciel, what in the world are you doing with that feather?"_

_The small child who looked three years of age looked up at his brother. The older prince was smiling at him coyly and had his hands on his hips. He was looking at the pretty blue feather the boy had taken out of his hat._

_Ciel smiled and waved the feather around like a banner. "I found a new toy, big brother!" he cried. "Isn't it pretty?"_

_Sebastian pretended to sigh in exasperation and scooped the child up. "Really now? Out of all the toys I gave you, you like this feather better?"_

_Ciel frowned. He was too young to realize that his brother was only teasing him. He kissed the older prince's cheek a few times in apology. "I'm sorry, Sebastian. I like everything you give me. I won't play with the feather if you don't want me to."_

_Sebastian chuckled and rubbed the child's back. "It's alright, little one. But let's not destroy your clothing for the sake of entertainment. Alright?"_

"_Fine," the boy pouted as his brother put the feather back in his hat._

"My lord, what did you see?" Cornelius asked. Ciel quickly told him what he just saw. He looked down at his hands while the man recorded the memory. He couldn't believe what just happened. Until this point, he had not fully accepted what was going on. It suddenly hit him like a ton of bricks. His former butler was his brother and he was a reincarnated demon prince.

Suddenly everything went dark.

**XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

"Did everything go well?" Sebastian asked as he picked his brother up.

"Yes, Your Majesty, I believe so," Cornelius replied as he handed the king the list of memories to read. "Though I'm afraid the young prince became overwhelmed at the end."

"It's understandable," the monarch said as he stroked the child's face. "He's always been so stubborn and has a hard time accepting things. Oh, and about the other thing we talked about?"

"It may take awhile to take affect, but it should work,"Cornelius informed him. "For every few memories the prince gets, a memory of his human life will be erased. I-uh- are you absolutely sure you want to do this, sire? Wouldn't the young lord want to keep those memories?"

Sebastian glared at him before answering. "I'll remind you not to question me, Cornelius. And to answer your question, I'm quite sure I want this done. I want him to forget he ever had a life outside of me. If he has too much independence as a child, he might revolt against me when he gets older. Now, I bid you good day." He turned on his heel and walked out with his brother.

Cornelius laughed softly. "Too much independence will turn him against you, my lord? You really don't know your brother at all..."

**XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

**A/N: Ugh, this chapter was so hard to write! I usually have most of my chapters already planned out when I start typing, but I made up most of this on the spot! Hope you guys liked it. Next chapter will have a few Ocs(don't worry, they won't become important).**

**Remember to review! If you do, Sebastian will come into your room wearing nothing but his boots and Hello Kitty boxers!**


	14. Guards

**Disclaimer: En omista mitaan**

**A/N: Hi, again! Thanks again for the reviews, guys. They really do help motivate me! Also, I have decided to put Claude and Alois in this story. How? You'll see! Happy reading!**

XxxxxxxxxxxxX

For the next week, Sebastian had Ciel work with Cornelius nonstop. He thought that continuous work would help bring all of the boy's memories back faster. Cornelius had explained that it was rather like an egg shell. It you gave it enough tiny pecks, it would eventually crack.

Ciel managed to unlock at least two memories each day. Most of them were him having a special moment with Sebastian. Whether it was scolding, playing, or loving, Sebastian was always there. Ciel had to admit that his brother was becoming very dear to him. He found himself more and more wanting to show the demon affection and ask his advice. It was odd since he was so used to being in charge and counseling himself, but he found that he really didn't mind. And he loved how happy Sebastian looked when he would surprise the elder with a sudden hug.

Unfortunately, reviving his old memories was very taxing on his body. The first few times, he passed out and Sebastian had to carry him back to his room. By the fifth time, he managed to stay conscious but had to lie down and eat a strong soul to rejuvenate himself. Cornelius said that he was already doing much better than expected.

"I didn't think you would be at this stage for another few weeks, my lord. You are getting stronger quickly," the old man said one afternoon. They were finished for the day, but they developed the habit of having small conversations before Ciel left to find Sebastian, who had stopped coming with him after he stopped passing out. He had to admit, he was glad to have someone else to talk to besides the older demon.

"Thank you," Ciel replied with a small smile. He had always loved the idea of being physically powerful when he was a human child, and now that dream seemed to be coming true. _Maybe one day I'll be as strong as Sebastian,_ he mused. "How long do you think it will be before I get all of the memories back?"

Cornelius chewed his lip thoughtfully for a moment before answering. "To tell you the truth, my prince," he said slowly "it will probably take something extremely traumatic for them all to come back at once. If we keep this method up, it will take years to get them all back. And I doubt that our king has that much patience."

Ciel scowled at the table. "Well, I suppose he'll just have to learn some patience," he said snippily. "He wouldn't let allow a speck of dust settle on my suit, much less let me experience something traumatic."

"Ah, my lord, you must remember that the king loves you greatly," Cornelius chuckled. "In your past life, he raised you like you were his own offspring. He just doesn't want to lose you again."

"Yes, I know," the young demon sighed. Even though he was enjoying Sebastian's company more now, he was still feeling suffocated.

There a a sudden knock on the door. Cornelius quickly went to answer it. In walked two other demons, one male and one female. The male was very tall, had tan skin, short black hair, silver eyes, and what appeared to be gills on his neck. He was wearing a black cloak that covered his entire body. The girl was a little shorter than Ciel, had pale skin, bright yellow eyes, and gray hair. She was wearing a simple gray dress with an open black cloak. They immediately went over to Ciel and bowed before him.

"Who are you two?" he demanded.

"My name is Careti," the girl said "and this is my partner, Phygra."

"And why are you here?" he asked suspiciously.

"My lord, the king sent us here," the girl said a bit nervously.

"What for?" he asked. Sebastian had never done something like this before.

The male spoke this time. "Your Majesty, I'm afraid that the king has urgent business that he must attend to. He said to tell you that you have permission to wander the castle and grounds. We are here to guard you from any harm and guide you."

"What business? And what's so special about you two?" he questioned.

"There has been some trouble with a band of angels recently and King Sebastian has to deal with it," Cateri informed him. "And we are members of the royal guard. His Majesty said that we would be suitable companions for you. Please allow us to accompany you this evening."

Ciel wondered for a moment if they were trying to deceive him – Sebastian's paranoia rubbing off on him, no doubt- but he could somehow sense that they were telling the truth. He never thought the day would come when he actually wanted the company of strangers but he found himself wanting to know more about these two.

"Alright, let's go," he commanded. He turned back to his other companion and waved. "Good day, Cornelius."

"Good day, my prince. I look forward to our next meeting," the man replied happily.

They left the room and began the long trek down the hallways. Careti stayed close to his left while Phygra flanked his right. _Sebastian must have told them to stay close,_ he realized. After a few minutes of silence, Cateri started to get antsy. She really wanted to talk to talk to her prince. Who wouldn't? He had the most interesting past! The fact that he seemed so mature yet looked so adorable didn't help much. Phygra, on the other hand, didn't seem too interested. He always was the quiet type and didn't like to interfere in other people's business. Besides, the king had ordered them to not displease his brother in any way. And the prince didn't seem to interested in conversation at the moment.

Ciel noticed that the small girl beside him seemed very excited. He mentally sighed. He knew from experience that she was wanting to ask him something. Lizzie always looked like that when she thought he was hiding something. He decided it would be best to just humor her.

"Cateri, is there something you want to say?" he asked nonchalantly.

The girl looked very flustered at this sudden question. "O-Oh, my lord! Well, uh, I was just wondering, um, where is it you want to go?" She didn't think it was the right time to ask what she really wanted to know.

Ciel stopped walking. He hadn't really thought about where he was going. "Let's just keep going. There's no where in particular that I wish to be."

"Yes, Your Majesty," they replied in unison.

They eventually made their way down to the courtyard. There was a good number of demons out there who stopped and bowed when Ciel passed. He was used to such behavior by now and didn't pay them any mind. Ciel made his way over to a giant gold fountain that was full of blood instead of water. Sebastian told him that the blood belonged to people who had made contracts and then tried to get out of them. Needless to say, they failed.

"So what exactly do you two do?" he asked his guards casually.

"What do you mean, my lord?" Cateri asked.

"I mean, why are you both in the guard? What can you do that's so special?" he demanded. These two really didn't look very strong.

To his surprise, Cateri smirked at him. "Well, my lord, why don't we show you? You've been to the training grounds, yes?"

Ciel smirked in return. "Actually, no. Sebastian must have overlooked that. Let's go see it then, shall we?"

XxxxxxxxxxxxX

"What do you mean 'They escaped'?" Sebastian roared.

"Your Majesty, please calm do-"

"Don't you dare tell me to 'calm down', sergeant!" he yelled at the trembling demon. "I sent some of the best warriors we have to destroy those angels, and you're telling me that they just disappeared mid-fight? Now not only did they make a mockery of us, but now they know our battle strategies! Who knows what they might do with that information?"

"Your Majesty, perhaps you should-" his speech was cut off by a hand going through his chest. The hand tugged at a certain organ inside him, causing the demon to disintegrate.

"You failed me for the last time," Sebastian sneered. "It shouldn't be too hard to find a replacement for you. Now, off to other business."

**XxxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

The training ground was a gigantic circle. One part of it was dirt, one sand, one water, one concrete, one lava, and one mud. The different terrains helped demons adapt to different environments and made it easier to fight. There were already several others training in each domain. Ciel could see which were the strongest and which were the cannon fodder. But he wasn't here to see their abilities.

"Hey!" he called out. Every eye was instantly on him. "All of you, leave now! I have some personal business to attend to." As he gave the order, his marked eye glowed brightly. All the demons instantly scurried out as fast as they could.

"Well," he smirked "that was easy."

"Of course, Your Majesty," Cateri giggled. "Shall we begin now? I usually prefer the concrete area while Phygra favors the water."

"Proceed," he said with a wave of his hand.

Cateri decided to go first. They quickly made their way over to the concrete area. Ciel and Phygra stood to the side while she went to the center of the area. She raised her arms up, flexed her fingers a few times, and then long yellow strands came out of her fingers. Ciel stared in amazement as huge stone pillars suddenly came out of the ground. She jumped into the air and swung her arms. The strands became at least twenty feet longer and easily broke most of the pillars. She then brought her hands together, which caused all of the strands to turn into one giant one. She brought it down upon the last, and largest pillar, which shattered into thousands of tiny pebbles. She then went back to Ciel and bowed at the waist.

"Was that a sufficient demonstration for you, my lord?" She asked in an amused voice.

"Well, well," he replied "It seems as though your stature betrays your strength. Now, Phygra, why don't you show me what you can do?"

The tall man lead them over to the water area. He nodded at Ciel and then silently jumped into the water. Ciel watched intently for a few moments, but nothing happened.

"What the devil is he doing?" he asked irritably.

"Please be patient, my lord," Cateri said. "It takes a moment for it to work."

"For _what_ to w- Ah!" He was cut off by the sudden rush of water everywhere. The water had suddenly turned into a tsunami sized wave. Phygra stood at the top of it and was using his hands to control the massive force.

"Phygra can control large bodies of water," Cateri informed him. "In fact, his favorite pass time is to cause shipwrecks."

Phygra made a pushing gesture and the wave turned back into calm, flat water. He went back to his partner and charge.

"I hope that pleased you, my lord," he said quietly as he bowed.

"I must say, that was quite impressive," Ciel commented with a small smile.

There was a sudden clapping from behind them. They all turned and gasped in surprise. Sebastian was standing behind them and smirking slightly. "Well, it seems you've all found a way to entertain yourselves this evening," he observed. He turned to the younger royal. "Brother, I trust that you find your new guards acceptable?"

Ciel walked over and grasped the older's arm. "Why yes, brother, they are quite impressive. I'm actually surprised you found me suitable company."

Sebastian chuckled and picked him up. "You know I'm always trying to find you the best things. Now, let's go back to your room. I have something I need to discuss with you." He turned back to the guards. "Thank you for your service today," he said simply before he quickly left.

The guards stared after the royals for a long moment.

"So," Cateri said after a moment "what do you think?"

Phygra smiled slightly. "I think things are about to get a lot more interesting around here."

**XxxxxxxxxxxxX**

"So, what happened with the angels?" Ciel asked as Sebastian sat next to him on the bed.

Sebastian grimaced before answering. "That's what I wanted to discuss with you. Apparently while I was gone, our forces decided to slack off. Of all the years I've been ruling, I don't think I've ever seen it this bad."

"So what are you going to do?" Ciel asked while wrapping an arm around the other demon.

"Well, little brother, tomorrow we are going to visit some people who can help retrain our army," he answered. "I will do most of the work, so you can just relax and enjoy a few days off."

Ciel grimaced. "Why can't I help? You know how much I hate not being able to do anything in this sort of situation."

Sebastian grinned and suddenly pinned him down. "Why, Ciel, I think you should be reminded that you're still not very strong. I bet even a member of one of the lower legions could beat you in a fight."

"Shut up," Ciel barked as he struggled to get up. "I am_ not _that weak!"

"Oh~? You're skin is still so soft and fragile that you're ticklish!" he exclaimed and proceeded to tickle the struggling child.

"Hey, watch your claws!"

**XxxxxxxxxxxxxX**

**A/N: Whoo, writing is hard sometimes. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. In two or three more chapters, part two of this story will be over! And good news! After next week, I'm going to have a lot more free time to write. Remember to review. If you do, Grell will take you on a shopping trip!**


	15. Challenge

**Disclaimer: ****Јас не поседуваат ништо**

**A/N: Hi, guys! Thanks again for the reviews. I hope you enjoyed your trip with Grell! I hope he didn't leave you with all the bills. And which one of you got kicked out of Victoria's Secret? Some lady in Los Angeles called me about that... On to the story!**

**XxxxxxxX**

"Uh, Sebastian, what exactly is that thing?" Ciel stammered.

The "thing" in question was a large creature resembling a lizard. Orange in color, it stood over seven feet tall, had large wings, and sharp talons. Even stranger, it had a saddle attached to it. He jumped slightly as it bared its teeth at him.

Sebastian chuckled and wrapped his arms around the boy. "It is nothing to be afraid of. This is actually a dragon, albeit a very small one. This particular breed is our equivalent to horses. I assure you that once you show them who's in charge, they are quite docile."

Ciel blanched. "Are you trying to tell me we're going to be riding one of these things?"

Sebastian raised an eyebrow at him. "Surely you're not frightened of a lowly creature like this?" he asked incredulously. "Like any other animal, it can sense you're fear. Besides you're going to be riding with me so you can be assured of your safety." With that, he picked his brother up and placed him in the saddle.

"Hey!" he protested. Couldn't Sebastian have given him some sort of warning?

"Now, now, just calm down," Sebastian coaxed. "If you don't, it might throw you off."

Ciel forced his body to relax. _Alright Ciel, it's just some dumb animal. Like Sebastian said, just try and think of it as a horse. Besides, Brother would never let this thing hurt you, _he told himself. That's all it took for him to compose himself. He then felt embarrassed at acting so childish.

Sensing his calmness, Sebastian climbed onto the dragon and sat behind Ciel on the saddle. He then reached around the boy and grabbed the reins. "Are you ready?" he asked. Ciel simply nodded in reply. After snapping the reins twice, the creature roared and then started running at a breathtaking speed.

"Where is it exactly that we're going, Sebastian?" Ciel asked after a few moments. "You were so busy making arrangements that you never told me."

"Oh, yes, I suppose that did slip my mind," Sebastian said, only sounding a little sheepish. "We're going to one of the darker places in this realm. I have an...acquaintance who much prefers his solitude. He often spends his time studying, observing others, and training so he should have some new battle strategies to tell us."

"I see," Ciel stated. "And how long until we arrive?"

"Oh, it should only be a few hours on dragonback," the older demon informed him. "It would have taken at least two days otherwise. This realm is much larger than you think. You remembered to bring your map, didn't you?"

Ciel reached into his pocket and pulled out the little golden ball he received on his birthday. "Yes, I've got it here. I was wondering when I would get the chance to use it."

Ciel let his mind drift as they traveled, barely registering Sebastian's humming or the screams of tortured souls(it was remarkable how fast he grew accustomed to those). _Though I'm now used to this place, it still doesn't feel like home. Who knows how long it will take for all this to become familiar to me? For the first time, I really do want my old memories back. Then I could stay here with Sebastian comfortably. But I still can't put Lizzie and the rest of those idiots out of my mind. Despite everything, I would feel bad if I just forgot about them. Oh, if only I could see them one more time!_

After riding in silence for a few hours, they finally grew close to their destination. They left behind the bright flames and vermilion sky and entered a place where it was completely dark and surprisingly cool. Since Ciel could now see in the dark, he could make out a few buildings and, even more surprising, a forest.

They stopped in front of a large mansion that seemed to be made of black stone, rotted wood, and dead butterflies. It was both beautiful and disturbing to look at. Sebastian dismounted from the dragon and then helped the younger demon down. He then stamped his foot on the ground three times. Ciel assumed that was his way of announcing his arrival.

"I so hope that he's gotten rid of that little imp..." Sebastian muttered wearily.

Ciel shot him a questioning look and was about to voice his thoughts when the door to the manor opened. Out stepped a tall man with yellow eyes, glasses, and short black hair. His black clothes were simple enough, but he had eight large spider legs coming out of his back. Beside him was a small boy with pale blond hair(which surprised Ciel, for he had yet to see anybody like that in this place). He was wearing ridiculously short shorts, a long purple trench coat, and had small bat wings coming out of his back.

They both walked(well, the boy skipped) down to the royal pair. The man immediately bowed, but the boy stood and openly stared at Ciel. Even when the man pulled him down beside him, he would quickly glance up and down.

Sebastian let out an annoyed grunt. "I see you haven't yet taught this thing proper etiquette, Claude. It's a shame, really. I was half-hoping this visit might be somewhat pleasant."

The man rose back up and looked at them with a blank expression. "Forgive him, Your Majesty," he said in an expressionless voice. "He is just excited to have guests. As you might imagine, we don't receive many visitors."

"Yes, I wonder why," Sebastian stated dryly. He then turned Ciel. "Allow me to formally introduce you all. Prince Ciel, this is Claude, the man who will be assisting us. And _this_... is Alois, an imp who helps Claude and keeps him company. Both of you, this his His Highness Prince Ciel, second only in the kingdom to me. And I trust that you'll treat him as such."

The man, now known as Claude, bowed his head at Ciel. "It is an honor to meet you at last, my prince," he said quietly."

"Oh, wow, you're sooo cute!" came Alois' high-pitched voice. "Just like a butterfly about to fly into Claude's web!" He reached forward to touch Ciel's cheek, but was stopped by a clawed hand.

"You insolent brat!" Sebastian growled. "How dare you have the audacity to try to touch one of the royal family members? I could have you executed for that!"

Ciel looked on calmly. Although the boy was already grating on his nerves, he knew nothing good would come out of him being harmed. If Claude truly was fond of him, he would probably refuse to help them if Sebastian killed his little helper. He decided it was best to intervene.

"Brother dearest," he said as he put his hand gently on the older demons wrist "just let it go. This is no time to be fighting. Besides, I'm sure that he meant no harm." He turned and gave Alois a dangerous smile. "_Right?_"

The blond boy gulped and stammered "N-No, I wasn't trying to do anything! I just like to touch pretty things, like you!"

"Yes, well, I'd advise you to learn some self-control before your actions end up getting you killed," Ciel said coldly. Alois grumbled and looked down.

"Now that that's settled, why don't we go inside. I'm sure Your Majesties would much rather discuss business in a more suitable environment than this cold blackness," Claude suggested in an emotionless tone. He seemed entirely unphased by what transpired between his imp and the royal demons.

Sebastian put his hand firmly on Ciel's shoulder. "Yes, let's shall," he agreed.

They all walked into the foyer of the mansion. Ciel was surprised to see that the interior was decorated in varying shades of gold, red, and pale blue. The designs and furniture were very different from the castle they left. It actually reminded Ciel of his old home. _I'm assuming Alois decorated this place,_he thought.

"Would Your Majesties like to relax for a bit or get right down to business? I assure you our home is quite comfortable," Claude assured.

"We'll get right to business," Sebastian said. "The sooner we return home, the better."

Claude turned to address Ciel. "And you, young prince? What do you want to do?"

He opened his mouth to reply when Sebastian snapped "My brother will stay with me unless I say otherwise! You should not make presumptions like that, Spider."

Claude bowed at the waist. "Forgive me, Your Majesty," he said calmly "I just assumed that when you told me to treat the prince with respect, that meant asking his opinion."

"Watch where you tread, Claude," Sebastian warned. "I'd hate to have to slice your tongue out before our mission was completed."

"Of course, my lord," Claude replied, still calm. "Would you now like me to lead you to our training ground?"

"Yes," Sebastian replied stiffly.

Claude led them outside. By the edge of the forest, there was a giant slab of concrete that resembled a giant chessboard. When they walked onto it, they could feel a sudden electricity go through the air. Ciel recognized it as the want to fight. To his surprise, Claude smirked slightly at Sebastian.

"Now, King Sebastian, I shall teach you some new battle skills. You may even consider it a new "dance". I do hope you can keep up," he said in a mocking voice.

Sebastian smirked dangerously in return. "Yes, the _Dance Macabre_!" he exclaimed. He then looked back at Ciel. "Brother, you may observe from the sidelines. I do not want to risk you getting hurt."

"Yes, Sebastian," he said, trying to keep the sigh from his voice.

He and Alois went a few feet away from the arena. He had to admit that he was amazed when Claude and Sebastian started to fight. He was used to seeing Sebastian do battle with silverware, but now he was moving like an elegant wild beast. It was almost, _almost_, scary to look at. Claude had some good tricks up his sleeve, though. Sebastian seemed to be dodging a lot.

Ciel gasped as Sebastian was suddenly caught in midair. Apparently, Claude had woken a deadly web sometime during the fight. Sebastian struggled for a few moments before he clawed his way out. But in that time Claude managed to get a few good blows in. Sebastian growled ferociously and lunged again at the spider.

"Makes you jealous, doesn't it, little prince?" Alois asked suddenly in a mocking voice.

"...Excuse me?" Ciel asked slowly. What was this stupid imp going on about now?

Alois giggled behind his hand. "Oh, don't pretend you don't know! I can see the envious look in your eyes as you watch Sebastian. I thought you might be something special, but you're not, are you? No, you're just the weak little brother who relies on his big brother to protect him. I don't know why everyone seems to hold you in such high esteem. Sebastian is more handsome, intimidating, smart, and stronger than you'll ever be! If people weren't so afraid of him, they'd probably laugh at you!"

Ciel growled and clenched his fist. "How dare you insult me!" he shouted. But even as he did, he couldn't help but feel that the imp's words were somewhat true. What really got to him was the feeling that he once thought those same words.

"Oh, you think you can prove me wrong?" the boy smirked. "Well, why don't you show me?"

Ciel narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"

"Come into the forest with me," Alois instructed. "There, I can test if you're really worthy enough to be my prince."

Ciel didn't hesitate. "Let's go."

**XxxxxxxX**

**A/N: I would have had this posted sooner, but I was out prom dress shopping. I got this really pretty dark blue one! Anyway, I'm on Spring break next week, so the next chapter should be up by next Tuesday or Wednesday. Also, part two of the story ends next chapter, I also have a nice fluff scene in mind!**

**If you remember to review, the Kuro boys will come to your school/work and dance to "It's Raining Men"!**


	16. Fight

**Disclaimer: **איך טאָן ניט אייגן עפּעס

**A/N: Hello again, my friends! Thanks for the reviews and adding this story to yours favs/alerts! For those of you who do not like Alois(which seems to be a lot) you're in for a treat *snickers maliciously* Here we go!**

**XxxxxxX**

Ciel had thought that Sebastian would notice right away when he and Alois went off, but no. He was too absorbed in his fight with Claude to notice much else. So he went into the woods feeling confident that he and the imp wouldn't be interrupted.

They walked for a few minutes before they came to a clearing. To his surprise, there were two swords sticking out of the ground. Alois pulled them out and tossed one to Ciel.

"I'm _so_ glad you came out here, _Ciel_," he trilled. "There's actually something I wanted to talk to you about! I hope those cute little ears of yours are capable of listening to something besides some servant simpering to you."

Ciel was immediately on guard. "What could someone like yourself possibly have to say to me? I highly doubt it's anything of value," he scoffed.

Alois grinned and ran his tongue along the sword. "Oh, I think you'll find this quite interesting, _Ciel_. In fact, you might even want to be my best friend!"

"Don't be ridiculous," he replied darkly. "I would never willingly put myself in your company unless it was absolutely essential. Now, tell me what you wanted to say!'

To his surprise, Alois jabbed at him with the sword. With his improved reflexes, he easily dodged it, but he was still surprised at the sudden action. Hm, it seemed that the little imp liked to play dirty. He should have figured.

"Fine then," he smirked and raised his own sword in front of his face "let's discuss matters while we fight. It will only serve to make things more interesting, will it not? I do hope your skills are up to par."

Alois raised his own sword up. "Don't you worry about me, _Ciel._ Claude taught me pretty fucking well. I just hope that stupid crow let his precious baby brother out of the nest long enough to learn basic fighting skills."

With that, they began to clash swords. Ciel had to admit that Alois wasn't half bad. He went straight for Ciel's weak points and moved swiftly. But he moved a little too recklessly, which gave the small demon an advantage. Ciel had learned many sword skills in his human life, so his elegant movements and quick thinking kept catching the blond off guard. He smirked as he saw the imp's growing frustration.

"I must say," he mocked "with all your talk I expected more of a challenge." He blocked a blow to his stomach.

"I can't believe you actually know what you're doing," Alois, who genuinely sounded surprised, said. "But I suppose you must have learned this in your human life, didn't you?"

Ciel's eyes narrowed. "What do mean?" he demanded. He tried to kick Alois' legs out from under him.

Alois retaliated by elbowing him in the forehead. "Oh, please! _Everyone_ knows about your past! You were reborn as some nobleman in Europe and worked for the Queen. I even hear that you're the one who sent that 'Jack the Ripper' woman down here! Have you been to see her burn yet? She's really getting it!"

Ciel gasped at this revelation. _Madame Red is being tortured? Why didn't that ever occur to me before?_, he berated himself. While he was distracted, Alois rammed him in the stomachwith the hilt of the sword. Pain went through his torso as he fell to the ground. Alois raised the sword above his head and sneered down at him.

"I guess you're not that good after all," he smirked.

Ciel felt rage go through him. Did this thing still insist on insulting him? He lifted himself up by his hands and kicked Alois right in the throat. The imp coughed and staggered backwards. Ciel raised his sword and waited for his opponent to recover. He still hadn't gotten his information, after all.

"I could say the same for you," he retorted. "You seem to be all talk and no skill."

Alois quickly recovered and lunged again. "Oh, you want to hear me talk? Well listen to this. You want to see your little friends again, don't you? What if I told you I could help you with that?"

"What nonsense are you spouting now?" he spat. But although he seemed unimpressed, he wanted to know what Alois would say. How did the little brat even know about that, anyway?

"Well, my dear, precious prince, if you look closely enough, you may find people who are willing to help you in ...certain endeavors. In fact, you may even _remember_ one right now."

A familiar old face flashed into his mind. But he didn't have time to dwell on that, for Alois was now striking at him aggressively. Ciel gathered his energy and tried to fight back harder yet still stay composed. Alois suddenly pulled away and took a small yellow stone out of his pocket, which he tossed to Ciel. After seeing that the blond had lowered his sword to his side, the demon held to stone up to examine it.

"What is this?" he asked incredulously.

"Oh, let's just say for now that it's just a very special stone," Alois said in a playful tone. "I'm sure that you'll be able to find someone who can go into more detail later. Just make sure you keep it out of sight until then, if you get my drift."

Ciel smirked and put the stone in his pocket. "Fine, I'll play along. I'm always up for new games."

Alois smiled and raised his sword. "Alright, then. Now let's continue-"

"_No, I don't think you shall,_" came a low voice from behind them.

Ciel felt his entire body freeze when the voice reached his ears. He slowly managed to turn his head, only to see his brother staring at them with a furious expression on his face. Suddenly, an intense pain spread throughout his entire body. But he didn't have the strength to flail around and he couldn't voice his pain.

Sebastian eyed the sword in Alois' hand and his eyes flashed dangerously. The imp visibly gulped and let the sword fall out of his hands. The angry monarch walked up to them and roughly seized Ciel's arm, which made the pain flare up.

"What was going on here?" he growled at Alois.

_He must have just got here_, Ciel thought. _He must not have seen the stone!_

"N-Nothing, Your Majesty," the boy stammered nervously.

"Oh, really?" Sebastian sneered sarcastically. "Because it looked to me like you had a sword in your hand and was pointing it at my brother!"

Alois tried to defend himself. "Hey, he wanted to co-" he was cut off my a hand striking his face and sending him flying into a tree. Sebastian grabbed him by the collar and pinned him against the tree.

"I don't care if you forced him to accompany you here or if he came here skipping beside you," Sebastian said dangerously, an inch from the imp's face. "What the hell made you think that it was a good idea to take the king's brother away from him, and then try to have a sword fight with him in the middle of a dark forest?"

Alois opened his mouth, only to have Sebastian hit him harder. This time he flew in the air for a few moments before landing on the hard ground. He then skidded all the way to Claude's feet(who had arrived a few moments after Sebastian). The spider demon simply sighed and scooped up his young companion.

"Please forgive him _again_, Your Majesty," he said, still infuriatingly calm. "Like a true imp, he tends to get into mischief."

"Yes, well if I were you I'd make sure you beat some sense into the damn thing," Sebastian snarled. "Or at least put him on a leash."

"I'll make sure to do both, Your Majesty," Claude replied(and Ciel got the feeling that he would). "I bid you both a good day," he said before disappearing with the imp.

Sebastian then turned back to Ciel, who actually shook with fear. Sebastian looked absolutely vicious. His eyes were glowing while the pupils were slits, his hair was in disarray, and his fangs were bared. Despite his frozen state, Ciel was about to try to run when Sebastian grabbed his arms and held him up to his face. He tried to turn his head away but for some reason he couldn't help but stare into his brother's angry eyes.

"Ciel," he said slowly. He then took a deep breath and yelled "_what the hell were you thinking?_"

Ciel whimpered and tried to squirm away, only to make the pain even (somehow) worse. Sebastian tightened his already steel grip and continued yelling.

"I told you to wait by the arena! Didn't you know how important this was? I wanted you to watch and tell me how I did. Now how am I supposed to know how I performed and if Claude has any chinks in his armor? But no, after we finished I looked for you, but you and that imp were nowhere to be seen! Did you ever think about how I might have panicked, how I envisioned that horrible blond creature harming you or taking you somewhere where I wouldn't be able to find you? Or how in my blind rage and worry I destroyed over half of their arena? And then when I do easily find you, you're safe but holding a _sword_ with that brat! So please, please tell me, darling baby brother, what exactly was going through your little mind when you did this? Hm? _Answer me!_"

Ciel tried to answer, but by this point he was in too much pain to talk. He heard Sebastian sigh angrily and mutter some strange words. He suddenly had a weird feeling in his mind, like someone was in there.

"_Ciel, can you hear me?" _came Sebastian's voice from inside his head.

"_Ah, Sebastian! What's going on?" _he thought/asked.

"_I've opened up a mind link for us," _Sebastian explained _"since our natural one has yet to come back."_

"_So we can read each other's thoughts?" _Ciel asked. This sounded quite troublesome.

"_Something like that,"_ Sebastian answered. _"Now, **answer the question.**"_

Rather than waste time explaining, Ciel replayed the scene from Alois challenging him to up to the end of their fight, making sure to exclude the part with the stone.

Sebastian closed his eyes and huffed. _"You and that damn pride of yours always getting you into trouble!"_ he yelled.

The pain became too much for him to bear, so he blacked out.

**XxxxxxxX**

When we woke up, he realized that he was being carried. The dark trees moved by him quickly. He noticed that he was still in pain, just not as much as before. He groaned as he tried to look around.

"Ciel, are you awake?" Sebastian asked, only sounding a bit concerned.

Ciel could only groan again. He couldn't even think of a response, much less voice one. Sebastian sighed again and picked up his pace. After a few more minutes, they came to a small building made of yellow painted concrete. When they approached, the doors opened for them and shut behind them. All that was inside was a large pool with a few benches around it. Sebastian sat him down on one of the benches and started to undress him.

"This may look like ordinary water, Ciel, but it is actually quite useful," he explained as he worked. "This water helps demons heal and relax. Only the nobles know about this, and they can only come with my permission."

When he finished undressing the boy, he picked him up and tossed him into the water. Needless to say, Ciel was shocked when he hit the icy cold water. In all the time he's been in this realm, he never felt anything so cool and..._.refreshing! _The water relaxed his muscles and took all of his pain away. He closed his eyes and sighed contently. He would have stayed down there forever if a pair of strong hands hadn't pulled him back to the surface.

"I presume that the young prince is enjoying his bath~?" Sebastian said teasingly. Ciel realized with a jolt that Sebastian had stripped himself and gotten into the pool with him. He began to back away a bit. When Sebastian saw this, he smirked and dragged the boy to his side.

"Aw, does little Ciel not want to bathe with his big brother?" he continued in the teasing voice. "We used to do this all the time! Besides, we're family, it's okay for us to do this, despite what those silly humans are saying nowadays."

Ciel sunk down a bit deeper and tried to relax again. He didn't even mind when his brother pulled him against his chest. He let out a small moan when Sebastian began to rub his shoulders.

"You worry about things too much," Sebastian informed him. "You need to relax more. I'm here as your brother and your king to take care of all your problems. You shouldn't ever have to stress about anything." He suddenly pushed away from the wall he was leaning against and took them to the middle of the pool where they lazily floated for a while.

"Ciel?" the older demon asked softly.

"Hm? What is it?" he asked contently. He raised his head from where it rested against his brother's shoulder.

"I'll admit that I overdid it earlier, but can you understand why I was angry?" Sebastian asked, gently holding the younger demon's chin.

Ciel shuddered and looked back down. Sebastian made cooing noised and rubbed his back soothingly. "Ciel?" he coaxed.

Ciel turned and looked him in the eye. "Yes," he said calmly "I understand. I should not have let my pride take control of me and leave with Alois. I didn't realize what he had in mind, but that only makes it worse. I should have realized how worried you would be, but I just couldn't let that stupid imp get away with mocking me."

"You have many things to be proud of, my little one," Sebastian said gently. "But you must realize that you're still very young and inexperienced. Everyone already gives you unconditional respect, so don't feel like you have to earn it. You have many, many years to expand your physical and mental powers. In the meantime, just depend on me."

"Are you sill insisting that I can't put up a fight?" Ciel asked while raising his eyebrow.

"Oh?" Sebastian said curiously. Why was little brother using that tone?

He yelped in surprise as a wave of water hit him in the face. He looked at Ciel only to see the boy smirking at him. He was about to scold him when the boy splashed another wave at him.

"Oh, so that's how you want to play?" he sputtered. He decided to retaliate.

The pair of brothers spent the rest of the afternoon splashing each other and playing in the water. They couldn't remember the last time they had so much fun.

**XxxxxxX**

**A/N: And so Part 2 is now over! Yaaaaaay! I hope you guys enjoyed Sebastian's loving bipolarness. Also...GUYS, I ONLY NEED TWELVE MORE REVIEWS UNTIL I HAVE A HUNDRED! EVERYONE, REVIEW ALL YOU CAN BEFORE I UPDATE NEXT! REVIEEEW!**


	17. Teaching

**Disclaimer: ****Ní féidir liom aon rud féin a**

**A/N: Hi, guys! Thanks a bunch for all the reviews. Yay, we reached our quota! I'm so happy! Now we shall move on to part three of the story. I'm not going to give it all away yet, so let's just say that shit is about to get real all up in this bitch. HERE WE GO!**

**XxxxxxX**

"Really, Ciel, I had expected better than this from you," Sebastian said sardonically.

The young demon scowled and got back to his feet. Ever since his fight with Alois, Sebastian had taken it upon himself to teach his brother some fighting skills. Ciel had acted indifferent at the news, but he was actually quite enthusiastic to start. Maybe if he could defend himself better, Sebastian(who seemed to become clingier each day) would finally give him some space. When they had returned to the castle three weeks before, Sebastian always made sure to have at least a few fingers on him and glared at anybody who came within five feet of them. He also caused some trouble for the imps who tended to the garden(much to the younger's amusement).

Unfortunately, the training wasn't going as well as he had hoped. They were in the dirt section of the training field, since it had the softest ground. Sebastian would tell Ciel to come at him, but would then easily push the boy to the ground. If they tried practicing with weapons, Sebastian would easily knock it out of his hand.

"Did you only bring me out here for the sole purpose of mocking me?" he accused the older demon.

Sebastian smirked down at him. "Well, aren't we easily frustrated! How are you ever going to fight if you can't get past my simple blocks? You're as weak as a human."

Ciel was about to retort that he _was _a human, but then remembered that that was no longer true. He was glad he did because he wouldn't want to see his brother's reaction if he voiced that thought. He scowled and looked at his onyx nails. He knew that his body was now stronger, but the blasted demon just wouldn't teach him how to use it! It really did seem at times that Sebastian was trying to play with him like he was a kitten instead of training him.

He was brought out of his musings by a sudden blow to his chest. It wasn't a very hard one, but it manages to make him fall to the ground – yet again. He looked up to see Sebastian snickering at him from behind his hand.

"What was that for?" the boy demanded.

"Little brother, you shouldn't take your eyes off an opponent for even a moment," the elder replied in a soft, yet teasing voice. "If I were anyone else, you might have been in trouble."

"I about wish you _were _somebody else!" he snapped. "Maybe then I could get some adequate training!"

All trace of humor left the monarch and he frowned at the younger. "There is absolutely nothing wrong with my teaching methods, child! Anyone else would have lost patience with you long ago and ripped you limb from limb. I'm simply trying to let you learn at your own pace, which is apparently slow as slow can be!"

He was about to retort when a loud, shrill sound came from the left. Startled, Sebastian instinctively grabbed Ciel and held him close(which miffed the younger quite a bit). A small creature that resembled an orange and green owl flew over to them and landed at their feet. In its beak it carried a piece of yellow parchment. It dropped the thin note at Sebastian's feet and then bowed its head.

"Your Majesties," it said dutifully in its high voice. After looking up and seeing how tightly the king was gripping the young prince, it hurriedly continued. "My king, one of your counselors gave me this note and bade me to deliver it to you as quickly as possible. He said that it was most urgent that you read it."

With his eyes not leaving the bird-creature, Sebastian made a beckoning motion with his finger, which made the note float into his hand. He read it over a few times, and his eyes soon started to grow. He let out an angry hiss and tightened his grasp on Ciel to the point of pain. His aura stretched out and crushed some of the rocks beside them.

"Tell my men that I'm on my way!" he barked at the creature, who immediately flew off. He lifted his head up and whistled, and to Ciel's surprise, Phygra and Careti appeared by their side.

"I have urgent business to attend to," he informed them. "I want you to entertain the prince until it's time for his appointment with Cornelius. Afterwards you will take him straight back to his personal chamber. Am I understood?"

"Yes, Your Majesty," they answered in unison.

Sebastian quickly kissed his forehead. "Keep yourself safe, brother," he whispered. He then disappeared in a cloud of black feathers.

Ciel looked after him, stunned. His brother had never just left him like that before! He turned to address his guards.

"Do you know what he had to leave for?" he asked them.

"No, Your Majesty," Cateri answered. "But I'm sure the king will inform you about it when he returns."

Ciel snorted and looked at the abandoned sword at his side. They had started the training session with that, but Sebastian quickly made him put it away so that he could push the younger down more easily. Honestly, Ciel had the urge to grab the sword and shove it right through Seba-

"Your Majesty?" Careti's voice questioned.

"Huh? What is it?" he asked, startled out of his thoughts.

"I believe that you still have three hours until you have to meet with Cornelius. What would you like to do in the meantime?" she asked politely.

He smirked and looked back to the sword. "I would like for somebody to give me a sufficient fighting lesson. At the rate I'm going, Armageddon will have come and gone by the time I'm up to par."

To his surprise, the guards seemed to regard his request thoughtfully. He was about to tell them he was only joking when Careti spoke up.

"Well, if that's truly what you want, my lord, Phygra and I would be happy to assist you," she offered.

Ciel was taken aback. "B-But won't Sebastian be angry?"

"My lord, I mean no disrespect, but we've seen the way the king "trains" you," Phygra said "and he is holding back immensely. Please don't tell him I said this, but his instincts are to baby you and that is getting in the way of your progress. Please allow us to train you ourselves. I assure you that we are highly qualified and good instructors."

Ciel hesitated a moment before answering. "Very well, then. As long as Sebastian doesn't find out, then there should be no harm in it. Shall we begin?"

"Would you like to move to another spot, my lord, or stay here?" Careti asked eagerly. She always wanted to test her little lord's abilities.

"Let's stay here since I'm most familiar with this area," he said. "If we ever get a chance for a second lesson, we can go somewhere else."

"Yes, Your Majesty," Careti replied.

Suddenly, she brought out her powerful strands and tried to strike him with them. He barely had time to dodge before they reached him. She tried again and he had to do a back flip to order to avoid the attack. Phygra decided that this was a good time to join in and sent a powerful stream of water at the young prince. Ciel held his arm up to block it, but it still managed to push him down. He then rolled back and forth to avoid being hit by Careti's numerous strikes at him. After a few minutes of dodging their attacks, he finally managed to get back up.

"What the hell do you two think you're doing?" he shouted indignantly.

"My lord," Careti giggled as she striked at his stomach "we're training you to dodge attacks. We noticed that you couldn't even avoid king Sebastian's simplest hits. If you get used to the harder stuff first, then fighting will be easier. Does he go that easy on you in your studies?"

He smirked as he jumped high in the air and threw a rock at her head. "No, he's actually very aggressive when it comes to those matters. I dare say he enjoys punishing me when I don't do things perfectly there."

He landed on her shoulders and kicked her face down into the dirt. He was about to laugh when Phygra sent another wave at him. He couldn't avoid it entirely, but he jumped over most of it and hit him in the throat. Careti then tried to get him in the ankle, but he did a handspring into the air. She then succeeded in hitting his arm. He hissed in pain, but the strand didn't leave a wound.

"Can't have you injured, now can we," she teased. "Your kingly brother might have my head if you have the slightest scratch on you!"

He landed on both feet then started to wave his hand around. The dirt started to swirl and soon became a mini tornado. It quickly caught the strands and sucked her into it.

"Yes, what a shame," he replied. "Perhaps I should rub some dirt on my finger and tell him you bit me. Maybe that would finally shut that insolent mouth of yours!"

Phygra tried to help, but the tornado sucked in his water and expanded three times in size. Ciel scowled, he never planned on it getting that big! But could he still control it? After moving his hand around some, he found he could but it took more effort. So he made a strong pushing motion and sent it rushing at the water demon, who was quickly caught up in it. He stood there and laughed at the sight of the two demons trying to escape the dirt. And to think he was what caused this! After a few minutes, Careti finally managed to free herself.

"Oh, you little brat!" she exclaimed, half annoyed and half amused.

Ciel raised an eyebrow and smirked. "What's this? You dare tale to a member of the royal family like that? Perhaps I should report you to Sebastian after all..."

She let out a small shriek and resumed her attacks. They carried on like that until the time came to stop.

**XxxxxxX**

"Honestly, if you can do all that, then why does the king insist on treating you like a baby?" Careti wailed on the stairway.

They had all taken quick baths(courtesy of Phygra) when they were done training. Apparently, even though he could no longer sweat, fighting left a certain scent on him. They all agreed it would be best for Sebastian not to smell it. The guards also had him rub against the walls briefly to make sure the smell was gone.

"He just doesn't want his 'precious baby brother' to get hurt," Ciel sighed. "Admittedly, I never have been the strongest kid around, so I can see why he would worry."

"Well, he needs to stop underestimating you!" she huffed. "It's obvious you're meant for great things, my lord.

"You think so?" he asked nonchalantly. It was nice to have someone to complain about Sebastian to. Even better, the guards didn't act like everyone else did around his brother. Oh sure, they showed him a lot of respect, but they didn't act like he was the greatest thing ever created.

"Well, don't let it go to your head, my lord," she said hurriedly. "You still have a long ways to go. Say, how's this whole memory business going, if I may ask?"

"Oh, alright, I guess," he replied. "It's about the same thing every time. I regain a few memories, which are mostly about Sebastian, and then I feel a bit...odd."

"Odd, my lord?" Phygra questioned softly.

"Yes, like I'm about to be sick," he whispered. Indeed, he had to stay a few minutes longer now because a terrible dizziness would come over him and he would lose all his energy. He he was well again, he always felt like he was missing something. He didn't know what, but he somehow knew that he had forgotten something very important.

They soon came to Cornelius' door. Ciel told the guards that they could leave and that he would call them when he was done. He then knocked twice and waited patiently for the old man to answer. He didn't have to wait long, as usual, for the man came running to receive him.

"Ah, Lord Ciel, how good to see you!" he said breathlessly. He ushered the child inside and led him to their usual chairs. Ciel was happy to sit, for the training took more out of him than he expected. Perhaps he should take a nap when he got back to his room...

"How was your day, Lord Ciel?" the man asked casually. Ciel had told him to stop addressing him so formally after a few weeks.

"Oh, it was alright. But before we start, I'd like to asked you something?"

"Yes, my lord?" Cornelius asked.

He put his hand in his pocket and pulled out the yellow stone Alois had given him. "Can you tell me what this is?"

**XxxxxxX**

**A/N: I reaaaaaly wish this thing would just type itself sometimes. I hope you guys liked this chapter. I'm not sure if I'm any good at writing action scenes. So, what's the stone? What problem did Sebby have to deal with? If you want to find out, REVIEW!**


	18. Tempting

**Disclaimer: **من هر چیزی خود

**A/N: Hola, mi amigos! Many thanks for the kind reviews. It's really nice to know how much people love this story. And, yes, I do enjoy leaving you at cliffhangers. I was inspired and had time to kill, so I figured I'd go ahead and write this. And yes, you will also have a new chapter on Saturday. Vamanos!**

**XxxxxxxX**

Cornelius stared at him in shock, his mouth agape. "W-Where did you get that, Lord Ciel?" he stammered.

Ciel casually held the stone to his face and shrugged. "An acquaintance of mine gave it to me on the grounds that it might be useful. So I can assume that you_ do_ know what it is?"

Cornelius glanced at the small rock again and shuddered. "Yes, Lord Ciel, I know exactly what it is," he said quietly.

Ciel raised an eyebrow. "Is it something bad?" he asked a bit nervously. If that damned imp was trying to get him in trouble...

"Well, no, it's not necessarily _bad, _but- here, let me get something that would help explain," he said as he got up and went to one of his many bookshelves. After searching for a few moments, he finally pulled out a large tome. He brought it back to the table and laid it down so the boy could examine it. The binding was made out of a purple leather-type material and there was a strange symbol on the front of it. It gave Ciel an uneasy feeling, so he flipped through the fail yellow pages to avoid looking at it.

"This must be rather old," he observed.

"Oh, yes, quite," Cornelius affirmed. "These pages hold the knowledge of the oldest and wisest demons and they tell how to use powerful spells. They also tell of special things found specifically in this realm."

"Amazing," he breathed as he looked at detailed illustrations of creatures, plants, objects, and intricate symbols. He paused to look at a drawing of a small silver key. _Where have I seen that before?_, he wondered. _Something...something about a bar...and Sebastian laughing at me..._

"My lord?" Cornelius asked, bringing the young demon out of his thoughts. "May I show you what you wanted to know now?"

"Yes, of course," Ciel answered, slightly embarrassed at acting so childish.

Cornelius flipped toward the middle of the tome and searched for a few minutes. His brow furrowed as he carefully examined each page he looked at. Ciel was afraid he was going to drench the thing in sweat before he found the information he was looking for.

"I know it was in here somewhere..." he muttered. He finally jabbed his finger down on a page and yelled "Aha!"

Ciel jumped slightly. "I'm assuming you found it, then?"

Cornelius chuckled sheepishly. "Indeed I did, my young lord," he said. "Look here." He pointed to the center of a page and turned it so Ciel could see it better. On the page there was an illustration of three stones arranged like a triangle. A green stone was at the top, a yellow one at the bottom left, and a blue one at the bottom right.

"So what are these?" he asked the older demon.

"These are called 'Parivahana Pasya', or 'Transportation Stones'. They're said to be able to take people to different realms. In some cases, different periods in time."

"Interesting," Ciel stated. "So what is so bad about them?"

Cornelius began to look nervous. "You see, it's not that the stones themselves are bad. It's just...a certain somebody says that they are and forbids them in the kingdom."

Ciel's bad feeling was coming back. "And who is 'somebody'?" 

"King Sebastian, your royal brother," the old demon sighed sadly.

"Sebastian? But why would he ban something like this? It could be used as a powerful weapon!" he exclaimed. What was his power hungry brother thinking? He could defeat his enemies a lot easier with these stones.

Cornelius cast his eyes down. "Well, my dear prince, you see..." he trailed off and bit his lip.

"What is it? Tell me already!" he demanded angrily. He was getting tired of this man's hesitations.

"These stones were used to help send you to the human realm!" Cornelius blurted out.

"What?" Ciel asked quietly, taken aback.

"Yes," Cornelius said, much more calm now. "While your father's group cast the spell that erased your memories, these stones were what sent you body and soul to the human world. Though they didn't use them correctly, since you were reincarnated instead of going straight there."

"Oh," Ciel replied simply. In that case, it was a wonder Sebastian hadn't destroyed them. Then again, maybe they couldn't be destroyed.

Cornelius continued to read the faded script on the page. "Hm, you might find this interesting, my lord," he said. He pointed toward the bottom of the page.

Ciel looked at it a moment before furrowing his brow and sighing. "I'm afraid that I don't understand this language."

"Oh, oh yes, of course," Cornelius stammered, sounding embarrassed at his oversight. "Here, allow me to translate this for you. It says that if a person ends up with one of these stones in their possession, by any sort of means, they have a strong yearning to travel to another realm. But in order for this to happen, they must have all three stones. When they are all gathered, they must be arranged as shown in the tome, along with two precious things owned by the wielder. One of these things must be of this world, and the other must be of the world wanting to be traveled to." He looked at the young demon pointedly. "Is there somewhere you wish to go, Lord Ciel?"

He gulped and looked down at his hands. Did he dare admit to this man how much he longed to see his human friends and family again? What if he told Sebastian about it? Then what would happen to him, especially if the elder found out that he kept the stone hidden from him?

"Ciel, you can trust me," Cornelius said softly. He reached out his hand, hesitated for a moment, and then rested it on top of his young lord's hands. "I swear that I will not tell King Sebastian anything that you don't want me to tell him. You look very troubled, so please tell me what is on your mind."

Ciel took a deep, shuddering breath before he spoke. "As you must surely know, Cornelius, in my previous human life I had family and friends. Well, ever since I first arrived here, I have been longing to know how they are faring without me. But Sebastian refuses to tell me anything about them and forbids me from mentioning them. As you might imagine, this only fuels my desire to see them. And I'm afraid that these stones are not helping the situation."

"What do you mean?" the older demon asked.

"I mean that know that I know there's a way back hom- to the human realm, how can I not constantly think about it? As soon as you told me what the stones did, I instantly had a strong urge to go back there. I know that Sebastian would never approve of it, but I need to see them all again."

They were both silent for a few moments until Cornelius decided to speak again. "My lord, I've noticed that sometimes after our sessions you tend to look...guilty for some reason. Now I think I know why. You don't want to forget your human life, no matter how much the king wants you to. And personally, I think that as long as you have this yearning in your heart, you will never be able to regain all your memories."

"What are you saying?" Ciel asked.

The old demon looked around as if to make sure that nobody was listening to them. "I'm saying, my lord, that you should gather the stones. I can help you perform the correct spell that will take you to see your friends, if for only a short time. If the king finds out about it, I will take full responsibility."

Ciel stared at him in wonder. "But why would you do that for me? Why put yourself in danger?"

"Because, Lord Ciel," he answered with a small smile "over the time we've spent together, I have grown to care for you as a good friend. And I truly believe that seeing your friends again will not only improve your happiness, but make it easier to accept your current situation."

Ciel continued to stare at him for a moment before giving him a genuine smile. "Thank you," he said. "Do you know where the other stones are?"

At this, Cornelius faltered. "Nobody knows where the green stone is, so you'll probably have a hard time finding that."

"And the blue one?" he asked cautiously.

Cornelius let out a deep sigh. "To my knowledge, King Sebastian has it."

**XxxxxxxX**

Sebastian was beginning to notice a trend. Every time he was starting to become truly happy, something happened that took his happiness away. When he was a prince and everyone started to love him, his father began to constantly berate him. When he had finally become king, his baby brother was taken from him. When he was starting to get his brother to warm up to him again, a band of angels continuously lead attacks against him and his forces.

He growled and tightened his grip on one of the angels he captured. Most of them managed to get away, but they managed to capture three of them. His troops were dealing with the other two, but he was personally handling this one.

"I'll asked again," he growled in a low, dangerous voice. "What were you lot coming here to accomplish?"

She had the nerve to laugh at him. "I don't have to answer to you, you scum."

He jabbed his claws into her stomach and relished in the sound of her screams. "You are in my realm and are my prisoner," he said in a silky voice. "You will answer whatever I ask of you."

She smirked through her pain and considered spitting at him. "Let's just say that your days as king are numbered."

She growled even louder and threw her against the hard ground. This was going to take longer than he thought.

**XxxxxxxX**

"So, how did it go?" Careti asked cheerfully.

After finding out where the blue stone was, Ciel felt his hopes falter. He highly doubted that Sebastian would let him see it, much less have it. And even if he did ask, his clever brother would immediately know what he was planning and punish him harshly. Cornelius had hinted that since Sebastian despised the stones so much, he most likely didn't carry it with him. Ciel agreed that he would look elsewhere for it. They then decided to carry on with their session just in case Sebastian asked about it.

"Oh, it was...eventful," he answered faintly.

"My lord, is something wrong?" she asked worriedly. "You seem a bit distracted."

Ciel was too busy thinking to answer her. _If Sebastian didn't have the stone on him, then there could it possibly be?,_ he pondered._ He would probably want it close enough to where nobody could get to it. He probably hid it somewhere I the castle. But he wouldn't leave it lying just anywhere...I'll have to check the only place I've never gone in this place. It's the only plausible option._

He turned back to his guards. "If I asked you two to help me do something crazy and potentially dangerous, would you do it?"

**XxxxxxX**

**A/N: Ah, another chapter completed. Well, you guys now know what the stone is. So how do you guys like this little turn of events? Btw, 'Parivahana Pasya' is Sanskrit, which is supposedly the oldest language in the world. Review!**


	19. Sneaking

**Disclaimer: ****Ég er ekki eigin neitt**

**A/N: Hello, again, my loyal viewers. I only have three more weeks before I'm done with high school! I'm so happy! **

**XxxxxxxX**

"I'm sorry, my lord, could you please repeat yourself? I'm not quite sure I heard you right," Careti said.

Ciel sighed. He suspected that this would happen. "Fine, I'll say it again. I want to go into Sebastian's room and I need you two to make sure that I don't get caught."

"My lord, _nobody _has ever gone into King Sebastian's room," Phygra said, his usual stoic face showing alarm. "Not friends, counselors, not even whores! He never even invited you to go in, am I correct? If he finds out- which I'm positive he will- you will be severely punished. As you know, he is not one to tolerate disobedience."

"Why do you even want to go in there?" Careti questioned. "I don't think idle curiosity is worth the risk."

"Fine," Ciel snapped. "If you insist on knowing, I am looking for something that I believe is in there."

"What exactly is it, my lord?" Phygra asked.

"Enough!" he yelled in response. "It is not your place to question me. I can order you both to help me with this task, but I have no guarantee that you will not rat me out to Sebastian. Can I trust you to be loyal to me?"

Phygra looked like he was struggling with himself. "My lord, I am your guard but as a demon I am loyal to the king above all others. I could never betray his trust or let you put yourself in harms way. I'm sure he never lets anyone in there for a good reason. Please abandon this insane plan of yours and immediately return to your room like the king or-" he suddenly stopped talking and his body seemed to freeze.

"Phygra, look at me," Careti commanded in a smooth voice.

He slowly turned until he was facing her. She was staring at him intensely and looking at him right in the eyes, which were now glazed over. She beckoned him to come closer, which he immediately did.

"You are going to stand by prince Ciel's door," she ordered. "If King Sebastian comes by, say that we are still with Cornelius. If anyone else comes, say that he is napping and does not wish to be disturbed. When we come to meet you there later, you will think that we went straight there with you and you will not remember what Prince Ciel suggested a moment ago. Do you understand?"

"Yes," he answered in an emotionless voice.

"Now go," she commanded sternly.

Slowly, he turned on his heel and began to walk away. He moved oddly, almost like a puppet suspended on invisible strings. They both watched him until he was out of eyesight.

"What the devil did you do to him?" Ciel asked, his features twisted in shock.

She giggled and waved her hand in a dismissive gesture. "Oh, it's just this little hypnotism power I have. He was being such a poor sport that I felt it was necessary to send him away."

"But why?" he asked.

"Because, my lord, I _am_ loyal to you above all others. And if my lord and master desires something, it is only right that I do everything in my power to help him attain it," she declared proudly.

He smirked. "Well, it's nice to know that I have at least one loyal servant."

"Yes, and the fact that you're so cute helps, too," she said playfully.

He turned his head and blushed. "Let's just go," he scowled.

**XxxxxxX**

Really, torturing your enemies was a great way to relieve stress. Sebastian decided that he should do it more often as he tore the angel's wing in half.

"Stop, please!" she cried. He had been at this for over an hour now.

"Now, now, show some spine!" he mocked. "Where's all that spine you had when you came here? So certainly had more than your comrades." They had killed the other two angels in front of this one.

"I can't stand this anymore!" she cried.

"Well, if you want me to stop, all you have to do is tell me what you were hoping to attain," he said seductively. He dug a large dagger into her abdomen, making her scream loudly.

"You...your...your brother," she choked out.

He was instantly on guard. "What about my brother?" he snarled, his face inches from hers.

"He...will...," she stopped and suddenly started laughing.

He shook her by the throat. "Tell me, you wretch, tell me!"

But she closed her eyes and her body disappeared. He yelled in frustration and punched a soldier who had the misfortune of being close to him. He didn't know what was going on, but he need to see Ciel right away.

**XxxxxxX**

"Are you sure this is the right door?" Careti asked wearily.

"I'm afraid so," Ciel replied, just as weary.

They were standing in front of the large black marble door that was down the hall from Ciel's own door, which Phygra was standing by. Ciel noticed that the door was like Sebastian himself: dark, nice to look at, but very foreboding. There was no physical locks on it, but they could sense a magical barrier around it. Ciel hesitantly tried to touch the dark marble, but he felt a small shock go through his hand.

"The door is blocking me. Can you get it open?" he asked his guard.

Careti, looking very apprehensive, reached for the marble door knob, but was then thrown onto her back . She writhed on the floor an screamed in agony. Ciel panicked and grabbed her arm in an attempt to stand her back up. To his surprise, she immediately became calm again.

"What the hell happened?" he demanded.

She took a shaky breathe and tightened her grip on his arm. "It...the barrier must have rejected me," she panted. "That hurt...very much. The king must have put a very powerful spell on the door. But when you touched me, the pain went away."

"I wonder why that is. The door barely shocked me," he recounted.

"It's probably because you and the king share the same blood. My lord, I'm afraid that you'll have to open the door yourself. It will hurt you some, but you're the only one who can get it."

"Alright, I'll do it," he said with determination. He braced himself as he turned back to it. What if it decided to hurt him like Careti? When he touched the knob, he was met with some resistance and more shocking. When he slowly turned the knob, his entire arm was filled with pain. He gritted his teeth and managed to push the door open.

"My lord, I think it's best that you hurry and get whatever it is you need. You never know when the king shall return," she cautioned.

He nodded and grabbed her hand. "Come in with me," he ordered.

When they entered the room, the door instantly shut behind them. It was completely dark in the room. They shivered, for it was also surprisingly cold.

"I can't see anything, can you?" he asked.

"No," she replied. "Oh, I have an idea!"

She held up two of her fingers, muttered a few words under her breath, and a bright blue flame sprung out of her fingertips. The entire room was soon filled with a weak light. As Ciel looked around, he realized that almost everything in the room was black, which was what probably made it so dark. The walls and floor were made out of some impossibly dark hard material. In the back corner, there was a large bed made out of red-veined black marble with black covers and hangings. There were two doors on the right wall and another one on the left wall. Oddly enough, there was nothing else in the room.

"He must only use this part to sleep," the young demon observed.

"Again, my lord, I must urge you to hurry," Careti pleaded.

"Are you that afraid of being caught?" he asked incredulously. He knew what consequences they faced, but it just wasn't like her to be this afraid.

"My lord, if we were caught, the king would punish you, but he would let you live. Me, on the other hand, would be killed on the spot," she answered.

_This is why bringing other people is such a bother_, he thought. "I'm going to look around. You stand guard," he told her.

He carefully searched all over the room, but came up with nothing. He then went over to one of the doors on the right. Inside was a bathroom done in black marble(of course) that seemed to be made the same way as his own. He quickly searched through there, but still found nothing.

He decided to try the next door. In this room was a small library. He was a bit annoyed to see that all the books were as black as the bookcases they rested on. He figured these books were Sebastian's favorites or special ones that only he was allowed to read. He carefully flipped through each book and looked over each shelf, but still found nothing. He let out a cry of frustration and stormed out.

"I swear if it isn't in this next room, I'm going to set this whole place on fire!" he yelled.

He swiftly went over to the third door and yanked it open. This room was very different from the others. In the back, there was a large ebony desk with a very comfortable looking chair. Behind the desk was a medium sized window covered by a black velvet curtain. The floor was covered in a carpet with a black and white chessboard pattern. Against one wall, there were many shelves filled with scrolls and there were large maps hung up.

What was against the other wall shocked Ciel. It was covered in portraits of him! There must have been at least two hundred of them, all in various shapes and sizes. In them, he was different ages and wore a variety of outfits, and in more than half, Sebastian was there beside him. He was depicted in Sebastian's lap, in his arms, and on his shoulders. There were pictures of Sebastian teaching him, playing with him, and eating with him. The largest portrait was in the middle of the wall. In it, he and Sebastian were sitting on twin thrones and dressed like the royalty they were. Ciel realized with a sick lurch that this scene never actually occurred. He had been taken before he ever had a chance to sit on a throne beside his brother. _This must have been some fantasy or dream of his_, he thought sadly.

He quickly averted his gaze. He looked at the more cheerful paintings to take his mind of it. He spotted one that looked strangely familiar. In it, he was standing in a large crowd with a large man hovering over him. _This...this is the day Sebastian was crowned!_, he realized. He noticed that this particular picture had more detail to it then the rest. When he reached up and touched it, he could feel sadness emitting from it. _The last time he ever saw me..._

As he looked at the image of himself, he realized that there was something off about it, but he couldn't find what it was. He looked carefully at it for a few moments until he found it. There was a part of his hair that looked to be a different shade from the rest of it.

"My lord!" Careti yelled, sounding panicked. "I can hear footsteps approaching from down the hall! We need to leave _now_!_"_

He reached up and felt the painted hair. The different part of it felt harder than the rest of it. He picked at it like a scab until it came off. He was about to hold it up to examine it when Careti appeared beside him and grabbed his arm.

"Come, my lord! We must hurry let's take the window!" she cried.

With a wave of her hand, the curtain moved aside and the window opened. She half dragged-half carried her prince out of the window and onto the balcony outside.

"Quick, jump onto your balcony while I shut the window!" he rushed.

Ciel looked over to his balcony that was about fifteen feet away. He hesitated for a moment, but then took a running jump of his brother's balcony. He safely landed on his own in just a few seconds. Careti landed next to him soon after.

"Did you find what you wanted, my lord?" she asked breathlessly.

"Let me check," he replied quietly. He looked what was in his hand and gasped in relief and joy. He was holding a blue stone that resembled the one in Cornelius' tome. Careti examined it for a moment and gasped also.

"My lord, is that what I think it is? Is it a Traveling Stone?" she asked, both shocked and excited.

He gulped and looked her in the eye. "Swear that you will not tell anyone," he said in what he hoped was a stern voice.

She smiled slightly and put a hand on her heart. "I swear it with my life that I will keep this secret. But may I hold onto it for you? The king might find out if you keep it," she pointed out.

He quickly handed it to her. "Take it and keep it safe. Now hurry and go," he ordered.

She jumped off the balcony and ran into one of the mazes in the gardens. Ciel stood and watched her for a few moments. He gasped and jumped when a hand landed on his shoulder. To his relief, it was only Sebastian.

"Looking out at the garden again, are you?" he asked sounding tired.

Ciel nodded and wrapped his arms around the older demon, taking the time to make sure his face stayed composed. What if Sebastian knew what he had been up to. Thankfully, Sebastian smiled at him while he picked him up and carried him back to his room.

"Let's lie down for awhile. I've had an exhausghting day," his brother sighed.

He sat Ciel down where he was sitting up against his pillows. Sebastian partially laid back on him and rested his head against the boy's chest.

"Rub my shoulders. I need to relax," the elder sudenly demanded.

Ciel scowled and considered ignoring the request, but he noticed how haggard and tense Sebastian looked. With a sigh of resignation, he did as he was bid.

"Oh, come now, you're barely touching me," Sebastian complained. "Are you still afraid of being intimate with me after all this time?"

"Hey, I've never done this before! Cut me some slack," he said irritably. He began to rub harder until Sebastian let out a pleased moan.

"Ciel?" he asked suddenly.

"What is it, brother?" the younger asked absently.

"You would never do anything to hurt me, right?" the older questioned.

Ciel stopped rubbing and and turned Sebastian's head so that they were facing each other. "What do you mean?' he demanded.

Sebastian reached and and cupped his cheek. "I mean, you would never do anything that you know would hurt my heart, wouldn't you? You would never betray me or purposefully hurt my feelings or try to leave me?"

Ciel bent over and kissed his brother's forehead. "Of course not, Sebastian," he replied. And for the rest of the night, he couldn't get rid of the guilt of lying to his big brother.

**XxxxxxxX**

**A/N: Huh, that lasted longer than I planned. I hope you guys liked this chapter, because i'm not sure I'm entirely happy with it. Also, can I ask you guys a favor? If any of you can draw, can you make some fan art of this story? If you do, I'll try update more! Revieeeew!**


	20. Proof

**Disclaimer: ****ನಾನು ಸ್ವಂತ ಏನು ಮಾಡಬೇಡಿ**

**A/N: Shalom! Thanks ever so much to the people who reviewed and to the ones who offered to draw art for this story! We're up to chapter 20 now! Yayz! I watched the Ciel in Wonderland OVA a few days ago, and it was awesome! Remember kids, Grell is the tom and Sebastian is the pussy!**

**XxxxxxX**

"You're leaving again, brother?" Ciel asked, surprised. Sebastian had left him alone more times this week than he had since the younger demon arrived in this realm.

"Yes, Ciel, I'm afraid I must," Sebastian sighed. He did not at all enjoy leaving his precious brother with his guards so often, but the boy was too young for the business he had to attend to.

"Is it the angels again? I'm sure I can find some way to assist you in fighting them," Ciel said, trying to reason with the older demon. Really, after all that they had been through together, why would Sebastian think that he was totally worthless in a fight? He could at least help him plan battle strategies.

Sebastian smiled sadly and ran his fingers through the younger's hair. "I'm afraid not, little brother. This is already complicated business. I'm afraid that your presence would only serve as a distraction."

"That's ridiculous!," Ciel protested. "I'm more than capable of-" he was silenced by his brother's stern look.

Sebastian held the boy's head in his hands and looked him in the eyes. "Enough, Ciel. I've already told you many times that you will not be participating in these battles. I assure you as the king and as you're brother that I have it quite under control. You needn't worry yourself over these matters."

Ciel couldn't stop himself from averting his gaze and huffing. Honestly, Sebastian was being completely unreasonable! How was he to know if Ciel would be a distraction if he never gave him a chance to prove otherwise?

Sebastian bent down and started to kiss his face. "Now, now, little one, don't be so irate," he murmured between kisses. "You know that I only want to protect you from harm. Haven't I always done what was best for you? Haven't I always guided you in the right direction? I know you don't like it, but you are still a child. You may certainly help me in these matters when you are older, but right now I cannot risk it."

Ciel sighed and leaned against his brother's chest, who in turn embraced him gently. Deep down, he knew that Sebastian was right. But it just wasn't in his nature to sit around and do nothing! In his old life, he was always solving cases for the Queen and and dispatching dangerous criminals. Well, he had hunted them down but it was his butler who did the actual dispatching. _Is that what my problem is?_, he thought. _Yes, I still want to be the one in charge. Even though I've developed a fondness for Sebastian,I still don't __**love**__ him. I'd prefer to have him as a friend, not as an overprotective brother whom I have to answer to. He's like a mother goose who honks at anything that comes near her hatchlings._

There was a sudden knock at the door. Surprised, they both started and jumped away from each other. Sebastian frowned at gently grabbed the younger's wrist.

"Come in!" he called.

Careti and Phygra came in, right on time as usual. They made there way to the royals and bowed at their feet. Phygra kissed Sebastian's ring while Careti kissed(and teasingly licked) Ciel's. When their monarch told them to rise, Phygra kept his head down respectfully and Careti beamed openly at her prince.

"Hello again, you two, Sebastian greeted. "As you know, I have urgent business to attend to. I'm not entirely sure how long I'll be gone. So I expect you to keep the prince safe and sufficiently entertained in the meantime. Understood?"

"Yes, Your Majesty, completely understood," Careti replied, keeping her eyes down. "As always, we will do our duty as guards to the letter."

"Excellent," Sebastian said with his sarcastic smile. He kissed Ciel on the forehead, as he always did when they parted. "Keep safe, Ciel. I'll return to you as soon as I can."

Ciel watched him as he quickly exited the room. If Sebastian was so adamant that Ciel would not fight, then the least he could do was tell Ciel what was going on exactly. All week his brother had been leaving early in the morning and returning late at night. He was usually very tired by then, so they went right to sleep. It wasn't that he really _missed _Sebastian's constant attention, but it did feel strange to not receive it.

After standing in silence for a few moments, Careti decided that it was safe to speak. "Alright, Phygra, you know the drill. Get to it," she commanded.

After Ciel's little escapade in Sebastian's room, she had taken to hypnotizing the water demon every time they were assigned to watch the prince. They both agreed that he only got in their way. Besides, Careti alone was strong enough to protect Ciel. Phygra was only there because of the king's paranoia. Phygra bowed his head and slowly walked out of the room to stand by the door.

"So, my lord, what do you want to do today?" she chirped.

Ciel had to smile at her girlish enthusiasm. It reminded him of a certain blond. "I don't have anything in mind, to be honest. How about you?"

She tapped her chin a few times and looked to the side. "Weellll, there was something that I wanted to show the young prince, but I'm not quite sure he's ready for it," she drawled.

Ciel narrowed his eyes at her. Sometimes he couldn't stand her constant teasing. "Oh? I'm quite sure I can handle whatever it is you're talking about. Be warned, I will not have you underestimating me like Sebastian does."

She smirked at him and stuck her tongue out. "Well, then. Please come with me, my lord."

**XxxxxxxX**

A few hours later, they arrived at their destination. It was on the other skirts of the kingdom, toward the edge of the eighth circle. They were standing in front of a large mountain. It was mostly a russet color, but the top was a vivid purple. If it wasn't for his enhanced vision, Ciel would never have been able to see that far up.

"Why are we here?" he asked his guard.

"Well, my lord, you said that you wanted to prove your strength, right?" she asked slyly. "On top of this mountain is a special creature. It is said that whoever defeats it can find...certain objects easier."

"Oh, so it's a two for one sort of thing?" he asked, amused. "Alright, I'll give it a try. How do you get up this mountain?"

"Why, my lord," she giggled "you have to climb, of course!"

"What?" he exclaimed, aghast. "The mountain goes straight up! There's nothing I can grab onto or use to help me climb!"

"My lord, it seems that you'll just have to be creative," she said brightly.

Ciel sighed and felt the giant rock in front of him. It was completely smooth and went straight up. He couldn't jump all the way to the top and he couldn't fly either. _Ugh, maybe if I had some sort of climbing pick_, he thought. _Wait, I do have something like that..._

He looked down at his nails. They looked small and smooth, but he knew he could change that. He concentrated for a bit and made them grow out into long, sharp claws. He dug them into the mountain and pulled them in and out to see how hard the rock was. It took a bit of effort to get them in, and he knew that this would probably be a painful process. But he had to find that last stone. So after steeling himself, he began to climb the mountain using only his nails.

"Whoo, go my lord!" Careti cheered. "You can persevere! Prove you're worth!"

He groaned in pain when one of the nails snapped in half. _Sebastian will not be happy when he sees this,_ he thought. He was still only one fourth of the way up. He let out a small cry of determination and began to climb even faster. This was no time to be showing weakness.

After nearly six hours, he finally made it to the top. Be then, all his nails were broken and bleeding. He even lost them completely on a few fingers. He licked at them pitifully until the bleeding stopped. After most of the pain faded, he finally looked at his surroundings. It seemed that the mountain was actually a plateau. The top was as smooth and flat as the sides. The deep purple of it matched the nighttime sky.

He was suddenly aware of another presence. He looked around but didn't see anything. A hard shove to his right sent him sprawling to the ground. He quickly rolled to the side to avoid a strike to his back. He quickly jumped up and observed the creature who attacked him.

It was a large, snake-like creature. It's body was at least fifteen feet long and looked very thick. It scales were shiny and as purple and the ground beneath them. It had several small horns sticking out of its head and throat. It was baring its teeth at him, exposing large fangs.

Ciel looked blankly at it for a moment before grinning. "So you're the creature I have to defeat? Fine. I hope you prove to be a worthy adversary."

The snake, which apparently understood him, striked at him. Ciel quickly jumped out of the way, narrowing avoiding the thing's jaws.

"You're going to have to do better than that," the young demon taunted, prompting the snake to snap at him again.

They did this for awhile. The snake would snap at him, and he would dodge. After a few weeks of not having any training, he had a lot of pent-up energy. It was easy for him to jump out of harm's way repeatedly. His plan was to wear the snake down before beginning his counter attack. His chance finally came after another hour. The snake stopped moving and seemed to be taking deep breaths. Ciel quickly went up to its face. He used what was left of his nails to gouge its eyes.

It let out a roar of pain and tried to shake the boy off of him, but Ciel held on. He then noticed that there was a bare spot amidst the thorns on its head. He jumped onto the thing's snout and punched the bare spot as hard as he could. The snake roared even louder and fell onto its stomach. As soon as it hit the ground, it's body turned into mist and floated away.

"Huh, you weren't so tough after all, were you?" he taunted.

He didn't laugh long. As soon as the last of the mist was gone, the mountain started to tremble. He looked around and gasped. The entire thing was disappearing! It quickly vanished and he was falling from thousands of feet in the air. He knew that he wasn't going to die, but there was a good possibility that he would be injured. As he got closer to the ground, he saw that Careti was standing right below him with her arms ready to catch him. But it was another pair of arms that saved him from hitting the ground.

"Sebastian!" he gasped in surprise. Indeed, the older demon was now clutching him tightly and giving him an annoyed, yet concerned look.

"What the hell were you doing?" the elder demanded. "I went back to your room to spend a few hours together before bed, but you're weren't there! Phygra could only tell me that you and Careti had gone out. I looked for you for over two hours, and then I find you falling from high above. So I'll repeat, what were you doing?"

Did Sebastian not notice that the mountain was gone? He looked around and gasped. The mountain was back! He looked at Careti for reassurance that he wasn't hallucinating, but she had been knocked to the ground. She decided that if the king had knocked her down with such force, it was best not to get up until told to do so.

"We were playing a game," he said, hoping that his voice wasn't betraying him. "She was seeing how high she could toss me into the air."

Sebastian looked at him for a a moment before snorting. "You must really be bored then, brother, to participate in such childish activities. I'm sorry that I have not been able to entertain you personally, but hopefully we'll have this pesky angel problem dealt with soon."

"Yes, hopefully," he replied faintly. If Sebastian believed him that easily, he really must have been tired.

"Come, let's go back home," Sebastian said. "Oh, and Careti? You may now return to your post. I do hope you can ignore the pain you're in to do you're job flawlessly.

"Yes, Your Majesty," she groaned.

**XxxxxxxX**

Ciel sighed and leaned back in his chair. Sebastian had decided to bathe alone tonight. It was odd, for ever since their time in the pool, they had been bathing together. Perhaps Sebastian had gotten an injury he hadn't wanted the younger to see? Maybe he would ask when Sebastian came out of the bathroom, which should be soon.

There was a sudden tapping at the window. He turned and saw Caret standing there, making a beckoning gesture toward him. He listened to make sure Sebastian was still in the bathtub, and then quickly went out onto the balcony.

"What is it? Make it quick!" he hissed. "Sebastian would not be happy to find you here!"

She put one hand on his forehead and the other on hers. He realized that she was trying to create a mind link between them. Sebastian had already done this several times.

"_Prince, can you hear me?"_ she asked.

"_Yes, I can. Now what is it?_" he thought urgently.

"_I came to give you you're reward,"_ she replied.

"_What do you mean?" _he asked.

She reached into her cloak and held a small green stone up to his face.

"_You-You've had that all along?"_ he gasped, incredulous.

She smiled. _"Please do not be upset, my lord. I had to make sure that you were worthy of this before I gave it to you. But today you have proven that you are. Not only did you defeat the creature, but you had the audacity to lie to the king! I will hold onto it like the blue one. You can decide when or if you want to use it."_

"_I could see my home again. And Lizzie..."_ he thought, momentarily forgetting that she was listening.

"_Yes, if that is what you wish"_ she agreed. _"I must go now. Goodnight, my lord!"_ She then quickly disappeared into the darkness.

Ciel went back inside just as Sebastian was coming out of the bathroom. The elder yawned and went right over to the bed. Ciel soon joined him and snuggled against his chest. But with the thought of his old home in his mind, he found no comfort in the familiar embrace.

**XxxxxxX**

**A/N: Alright, this looked A LOT better in my mind than it did typed out. Hopefully you guys will still like it. So Ciel has all three stones now! What will he do with them? Ah, hell, you guys have probably figured it out already.**

**REVIEW!**


	21. Break

**Disclaimer:****Saya tidak melakukan apa-apa sendiri**

**A/N: Fondest greetings to you all! Thanks once more for the reviews and encouragment! Only two more weeks of school for me! Yes! Now back to the story!**

**XxxxxxX**

"Ciel? Ciel, wake up," a voice whispered in his ear.

When he didn't move, someone started to shake his shoulder. He groaned loudly and opened his eyes. It was, of course, Sebastian, who was looking at him curiously.

"Sebastian? It's the middle of the night. Shouldn't you be resting?" he asked, only half-awake.

"Little brother, you were muttering something in your sleep," Sebastian informed him. "I thought that you might be having a bad dream. Were you?"

"No, it was actually quite pleasant," he replied, angry at his brother for waking him from such a dream. He hadn't felt that happy in years!

"Oh? What was it about?" the older demon asked with a small smile. "Come now, you never tell me what you dream about. Was it one of your memories?"

Ciel stiffened and buried his face in his pillow. "It was nothing important," he murmured. Oh, why did Sebastian have to ask him this? He wasn't going to like the answer...

Sebastian frowned and prodded his stubborn sibling in the shoulder. "Ciel, _tell me_," he demanded.

Ciel forced himself to groan pitifully and snuggled into the silk sheets. Sebastian sighed and wrapped his arms around the boy in a vice-like grip. Really, the child was beginning to take too many liberties. Perhaps he needed to be taught another lesson.

"Fine, go back to sleep for now," he said in a dead calm voice. "But I'm not dropping this. I expect to hear all about this little dream of yours first thing tomorrow."

Ciel repressed a shudder. He tried to force himself back to sleep, but found he could not. He was already dreading the morning.

**XxxxxX**

Ciel yawned into his hand as Sebastian finished combing his hair. It seemed as soon as he had been able to fall asleep again, the older demon had told him it was time to get up. He was seriously hoping that Sebastian had forgotten the events of last night. His chances were looking good since it was almost his brother's time of departure and he had not brought it up yet.

But he should have known by now that Sebastian was not one to be underestimated. As usual, Sebastian handed him a vialed soul to eat. This one was a bright green. The smell was both sweet and citrusy but there was something...off about it.

"This soul belonged to a thief who stole to feed his family. Unfortunately for him, nobody ever told him that two wrongs do not make a right. So he was arrested and publicly hanged, with his spouse and children looking on all the while," Sebastian informed him. "Now, hurry up and eat."

Ciel was a bit reluctant to ingest this soul, but he knew that his brother would become angry if he didn't. So he quickly tilted his head back and swallowed it all at once, noticing Sebastian smirking dangerously out of the corner of his eye. Oh yes, there was definetly something off about that otherwise delicious soul. He was starting to get a weird feeling in his stomach. He suddenly stumbled as his head became dizzy.

Sebastian caught him and carried him to the table in the center of the room. He sat Ciel down in a chair and then sat himself opposite him. He then reached forward and grasped the boy's hands tightly. "Now Ciel, I believe you had a dream to tell me about. It was obvious to me that you were trying to hide something from me last night, and I find that most unacceptable. And don't even bother trying to lie to me. I spiked that soul you just had with a truth syrome."

Ciel's eyes widened in shock. Why was Sebastian doing this? It was only a dream! Why did he care so much? _It must be because I refused to tell him about it,_ he realized. _Damn, why didn't I just tell him that I did dream about some memory?_

"So, Ciel," Sebastian drawled "why did you not want to tell me your dream?"

"I thought it would make you angry," he replied automatically, his mouth moving of its own accord.

"Oh? And why is that?" his brother asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It was something you wouldn't want me to dream about," he replied, panic starting to rise in him.

"Ciel, what did you dream about?" Sebastian finally asked flat out.

"I dreamt that I was back home with Lizzie," he answered, wishing more than anything that this was not happening. "We were sitting in my garden and drinking tea. She was wearing this frilly dress that I had just bought her. We were discussing...wedding plans. She told me how much she loved me and that she never wanted me to leave. I said that I loved her too and that I wouldn't ever leave her for anything. She smiled and I smiled back. I felt so _happy_. The happiest I've felt since my parents died."

As soon as the words left his mouth, he knew he was going to die or something close to it. He cast his eyes down to the table and waited for the worst to come. After a few silent moments, he quickly glanced up at his brother. The older demon was staring at him with a blank look on his face. But he could see anger starting to gather in Sebastian's eyes. eyes. Suddenly, he was tugged out of his chair and shoved so that he was kneeling at his brother's feet. He decided it was best to keep his eyes down.

"My, my, Ciel, I don't even know where to begin!" Sebastian exclaimed, laughing. But not a good natured laugh. It was the kind someone made when they were very angry. "It seems as though my baby brother isn't quite as happy here as I thought he was."

"Sebastian, please, it was only a dream!" he reasoned, still looking down. "There's no reason to get upset over it."

Sebastian roughly grabbed his chin and lifted his head up. Ciel could see nothing but anger and contempt in his eyes. Oh, why did this have to happen now? He needed Sebastian's trust more than ever at this point.

"You know, brother dear," Sebastian said angrily "they say that dreams are a projection of one's secret desires. And it's blatantly obvious that _your_ secret desires are to be with that annoying girl. Better yet, getting _married_ to that girl. And what's this? You still think of that mansion as "home"? I suppose you also wish that I was still your little butler to boss around, don't you?"

Ciel didn't reply and tried to turn his head. He was rewarded with a hard slap in the face. He fell to the floor only to be lifted up again by his hair. When he cried out, Sebastian only pulled harder.

"I'm right, aren't I?" he sneered. "It seems as though I've been spoiling you far too much. I think it's time that I showed you once and for all who is in charge here."

He grabbed the child's wrists tightly. So tightly that if he were still human, they would have snapped. He then lifted him so that Ciel was sitting on his arm and his head was over his shoulder. He quickly walked out the door and started to go downstairs.

"Sebastian, what are you doing?" Ciel demanded, futiley struggling against his brother's vice grip.

"You'll see," his brother replied in a pleasant voice.

Sebastian eventually reached a flight of stairs that seemed to go endlessly down. It took at least an hour to get to the bottom. Ciel was nervous to say the least. From his position, he couldn't see where they were headed. After they reached the bottom, they walked for another twenty minutes. If he hadn't been so apprehensive, he would have fallen asleep. Sebastian stopped in front of a bolted door and opened it with a snap of his fingers. He then turned Ciel around so that he could see what was in the room.

He nearly screamed. The room was giant, seeming to never end. It was full of cages stacked on top of other cages. They looked old and rusted and were covered with foul looking substances. But what was worse than the cages themselves were the people inside them. There seemed to be an equal mix of humans and demons. The humans were absolutely filthy and had a dead look in their eyes, a look he was very familiar with. They didn't even turn their heads to observe the new arrivals. The demons looked to be in the same condition as the humans, but some of them were whimpering and covering their eyes.

"They can't stand the light," Sebastian explained. "This room is kep in total darkness unless somebody comes in here. And that's only for a few brief moments."

"W-What is this place?" he asked, unable to keep the quiver out of his voice.

Sebastian smirked dangerously. "This is a place we take certain souls and prisoners. You see, there are some whose greatest fear is "nothing". These are the ones who would rather face eternal torment than be stuck in an empty void. Basically, we're torturing them with their worst fear. Now, where was that...oh, back there!"

He quickly took them about three miles into the room. They were now in an area with a few empty cages. Sebastian walked over to a small one. "This should do nicely," he said, still smirking.

"What are you doing?" Ciel panicked. He was getting a sick feeling in his gut.

Sebastian opened the cage and tossed him in, making sure it was then locked securely. "I'm teaching you a lesson, Ciel. Since this obviously has not gotten into your head yet, let me say it again. I am your king, and that means that you will obey my every whim, whether it be wearing clothing that I picked out for you or forgetting your previous life. Everything you have now is only what I wanted you to have. Now that I'm taking it away, perhaps you'll learn to appreciate me more." He then started to walk away.

"Sebastian, please, wait!" Ciel begged.

But then the lights went out, and he was left alone in total darkness.

**XxxxxxX**

If there was one thing Ciel Phantomhive never thought would happen, it was that he would be locked in a cage again. And especially not by the same demon who rescued him before. How naive he had been, thinking that as long as Sebastian was by his side, this sort of thing would never occur. But Sebastian wasn't by his side anymore, was he? No, the demon had let his temper and jealousy get the best of him.

Had the demon forgotten what led up to their contract, or was that exactly why he had chosen this particular punishment? Maybe this was better than last time, for at least now he didn't have to see anything. No altars, no strange symbols, no blood, no dead-eyed children, no masked men and women doing unspeakable things to him... Had he ever told Sebastian what exactly transpired in that month? How he watched many other children be sacrificed on the altar? How those cult members beat him, whipped him, cut him, _defiled him_, all the while laughing at his pain? Well, the demon probably guessed. With the way he acted, it wouldn't have been hard to figure out.

He must have truly been spoiled to forget what exactly Sebastian was. Well, not exactly _forget,_ but he never thought that his brother would be so cruel to him. But perhaps this is what Sebastian was truly like. A powerful, ruthless, merciless, demon king. Yes, that made sense. Since he was born into his first life, Sebastian had always spoiled and coddled him, making the child believe he was only cruel to their enemies. But now he was seeing the demon's true colors. He should have already known this. The man was always cruel to everyone else, and he'd already been punished by him in painful and humilating ways. He wondered if Sebastian saw him as a traitor now.

He didn't know how long he was in there, but it was long enough to do a lot of thinking and sort through his emotions. At first, he was scared. He didn't know what could happen to him in this dark room, filled with nothing but an occasional moan from a fellow prisoner. But after who-knows-how-long of sitting there, he started to become angry, his old Phantomhive pride coming back.

Who the hell did that demon think he was? Didn't their contract say specically that the demon was to devour his soul, _all_ of it? After those occult members were killed, he had been so ready to _die_. To go into that land of nonexistence where there were no feelings or memories. But, no, the demon had brought him here and gave him a new life. Ridiculous, really. If he hadn't been able to give affection to his friends and family, what made the demon think that _he_ would recieve it? No, he had no reason to give the demon anything, especially not after this humiliation. He was the Earl Ciel Phantomhive, born to human parents in a human world. He was a fool to ever believe that he and the demon ever had anything in common, much less be related.

But after the anger came an...empty...feeling. He didn't know if this feeling came from the room or his own damaged psyche, but it was slowly overtaking him. He grew tired of stretching out and sitting in different positions, so he curled into a ball in what he believed was a corner of the cage. Previously, everytime he was faced with a problem, he would persevere and overcome it. He always had extraordinary willpower, after all. But not now. He just wanted to disappear. He wanted to get away from everything, including Lizzie, his old home, Sebastian, and his new and old friends. He slowly lost the will to move or do anything, becoming just like those dead-eyed people he so despised. He didn't care if he ever moved again. He was still in this mindset when somebody picked him up. He made no protest and much resembled a ragdoll when he was lifted up and held like a baby. For the first time since he arrived in this room, he fell asleep.

**XxxxxxxX**

He he woke up, he instantly wished he hadn't. The light was burning his eyes badly. He shut them tightly and covered them with his hands, whimpering softly.

"My lord?" a voice to his left asked anxiously.

"Who-whose there?" he choked out. He found it very hard to talk.

He felt a hand on his shoulder. "My lord, it is Careti. Are you alright?"

"Where am I?" he demanded, ignoring her question.

"Lord Ciel, you are back in your bedroom," she replied, growing concern in her voice.

He felt around and realized he was indeed back in his luxurious bed. As much as he wanted to, he couldn't bear to open his eyes again. "Please, dim the lights," he asked in a pleading voice.

"Yes, just a moment, my lord," she replied. She shut the curtains and cast a spell that took all the light away. She then lit a candle so that her prince's eyes could slowly adjust to the light again. "Alright, my lord, please try to open your eyes again."

He had to use a hand to pry them open, but he found it wasn't so bad now. The candle light was making him flinch a bit, though. "How did I get here? Where's Sebastian?" he inquired.

"My lord, King Sebastian brought you back here from the dungeons last night. It is now noon, by the way. He left a few hours ago to deal with another angel attack."

"How long was I down there?" he asked. It could have been an hour or a year.

"You were there for two weeks, my lord," she informed him, her voice hard. "He was originally only going to keep you there for one, but Phygra, the ass licker, told him that you needed to learn more respect for him, so he decided to add another week."

At this, Ciel felt his rage and indignation come back. So the demon thought he could torture him into submission like anybody else, did he? He probably expected the boy to be like that weak-willed guard after this. Well, he was going to show the demon what happened to those who dared humiliate a Phantomhive.

"Careti, bring Cornelius here to me quickly," he ordered. "I think you both know what I have in mind."

**XxxxxxX**

**A/N: Hm, I got kind of dark there, didn't I? And I liked it!(laughs evilly) Anyway, I hope you guys liked this chapter. Ooh, the suspense! Also, I'm going to post the next chapter on Friday instead of Saturday. I have prom that day so I'll be busy. **

**Review!**


	22. Leaving

**Disclaimer: **હું પોતાની કંઈપણ નથી

**A/N: I am SO SORRY that this is late, guys. I already had this half-way typed but then my computer wouldn't let me access the file so now I have to start over. I deeply apologize for the inconvenience. I'm also miffed because I'm afraid that the stuff I have to re-type won't be as good as the original. FFFFF- Anyway, I've been wanting to write this part of the story since I first started. So here we go!**

**XxxxxxX**

Ciel stared at the wall while he waited for his guard to return. He was contemplating..._everything. _His old life, his human one, and his current one. _Do I really want to do this? Is it worth the risk?_, he wondered. He didn't know how long he was planning to stay. Maybe an hour, maybe for the rest of his life. But he knew he had to get away from that demon, no matter for how long.

He tried to imagine what it would be like when he returned. Would they all be glad to see him or believe that he was a ghost returned from the dead? He snorted at that image of them all running and causing a mass panic. But he supposed that was part of their charm.

He could surely bring his company back from what ever befell it in his sudden absence. He was smart and had enough willpower to do so. People in the business world knew not to mess with him. He also had plenty of loyal allies that would protect him from harm from numerous enemies. He would teach himself to be self-sufficient and not to rely on anyone, not even servants.

But most of all, he would be able to see his betrothed again. Yes, he never stopped thinking of her like that. His dear, sweet, understanding, caring Elizabeth. Perhaps he could even make their marriage happen and have a family of his own. Then he could leave Sebastian in the past and forget that they ever met.

Ah, yes, Sebastian. The demon was going to be furious when he found out what had happened. He might even want to kill the boy. But Ciel refused to stay with him for another moment. He was going to have to find some way to hide from Sebastian when he returned home. He couldn't start his life over with an angry demon hunting him down. And after awhile, Sebastian would surely realize that Ciel no longer wished to be with him and leave him alone.

There was a knock at the door. "Come in!" he called as loud as his still-weak voice would allow.

Careti came in – followed by an anxious Cornelius – and quickly shut and bolted the door behind them. They both went over to their prince and knelt before him.

"I trust that you've already realized why I've called you here, Cornelius?" he asked.

"Yes, Lord Ciel," the man gasped, as if out of breath. "But, my prince, may I at least ask what led to this decision? When the king finds that you have gone – and believe me, it won't take very long – he will be beyond upset. He will personally go find you and drag you back here. You'll never be let out of his sight again. He'll never let you find a mate or have companions. Knowing him, he'll have you constantly beat. I beseech you to think this plan of yours through. Is a few brief moments of whimsical fun worth an eternity filled with nothing but a man you have grown to despise?"

Ciel gave him a sharp look. "I have thought about this thoroughly and I am sure about my decision. I refuse to stay in this realm any longer. The more I think about it, the more it seems that Sebastian's actions were not done out of care and protectiveness of me, but rather possessiveness and jealousy. So, are you going to help me or not?"

Cornelius clenched his fist and looked down. "Yes, my lord, I will," he replied in a surprisingly confident voice.

Ciel smirked. "Good. Now where would be a good place to do this? You never know when Sebastian might barge in here for some stupid reason."

"I have a little room in my quarters that we can go to," Cornelius offered. "It's specially designed so that others cannot detect what's going on in there."

"That sounds alright," he replied in an indifferent voice. He didn't really care where it was as long as their plan worked.

"Um, my lord, the king has given orders that you are not to leave this room under any circumstances," Careti said nervously. Her prince was certainly not in the mood for this information. "If you left, he would surely know."

"That bastard!" he hissed under his breath. "Cornelius, is there anyway to make it seem like I'm in the room even after I leave?"

"Actually, my lord, I do know a spell for this," The older demon said.

"Then hurry and do it," he commanded.

Cornelius reached over and plucked a few hairs from his little lord's head. "Forgive me, Lord Ciel, but it is necessary," he informed the scowling child. He held the hairs up high and muttered some strange sounding words. The hairs flew into different parts of the rooms and blended into their surroundings.

"As long as those hairs are there, you're presence can be senses in this room, my lord," Cornelius informed him.

"Good work. Now help me get ready. I can't very well travel to a different world while still in my night clothes, now can I?" he said dryly.

Cornelius assisted him in taking a quick bath. Thankfully, it helped to revive him some. He told Careti to pick out his most human looking outfit in the meantime. She found a black wool suit with a blue cravat to tie around his neck. It much resembled what he wore in his human life, if only a bit fancier.

"Cornelius, what else did you say I needed to cast the spell?" he asked as the older demon finished tying the ribbon.

"In addition to the stones you need an object that is precious to you from this world as well as the human one. I trust that you have one from this world, but what about the other? I doubt that the king would have let you keep any baubles from your other life."

Ciel smiled a bit sadly and looked at the wardrobe. "Well, not any baubles that he knew about," he said.

He walked over to the piece of ebony furniture and looked carefully inside it. He hadn't looked at its interior since the night of his birthday. He wasn't surprised to see that the box that contained his old clothing was gone. Sebastian must have disposed of it when he was away. But that wasn't what he was searching for.

He felt around on the right for the compartment he hid it in. He finally found it toward the back and eagerly opened it. He had to feel around for a moment before he finally found the precious object. He then climbed out to examine it in better light.

The silver locket was a bit dull from not being polished, but it was still as lovely as the day he received it. It opened it and caressed the picture of his cousin and him. _My beloved..._

"Lord, Ciel, do you now have everything you need?" Cornelius asked gently.

"Yes, I believe I do," he replied. "Now let us leave. We've dallied long enough."

"Would you two please grab hold of my hands?" the man asked.

They both complied and each grabbed a hand. Cornelius then chanted something under his breath. Ciel had the odd sensation of being tugged before the room seemed to sweep past him and he found himself in another. As Cornelius had said, it was small in size, having just enough room that they didn't feel cramped. It was made entirely out of stone and had no furniture or furnishings.

"Let us hurry," he said. "You never know what tricks Sebastian has up his sleeve."

"Lord Ciel, Careti, please follow my instructions to the letter," the older demon instructed. "Careti please place the stones into a large triangle, with the green at the top, the yellow on the left, and the blue on the right."

She slowly did so. Even though she obeyed her prince's wishes, she was loathe to see him leave. She really didn't mean to get so attached, but little royal was just too hard to deny. She suddenly had an idea.

"My lord, are you sure that you want to go alone?" she asked, trying to sound indifferent. "If you want, I could go with you. I know how merciless humans can be. Why don't you let me continue to guard you there?"

Ciel grinned and put a hand on her shoulder. "No, it is best that I go alone. If we both go missing, Sebastian will assume that you were the cause behind it. Besides, I need you to make up a cover story for me."

"Like what?" she asked, astounded. "No matter what, the king will blame me, your guard, if you disappear."

He waved a hand in a dismissive gesture. "Oh, just find some way to blame it on Phygra. Maybe you could also say that I was kidnapped by a band of angels."

"Yes, my cunning little lord," she giggled.

"Now, Lord Ciel, please step into the center of the triangle," Cornelius instructed.

Ciel slowly walked into it. When he reached the center, he felt a sudden surge of power. _We haven't even started and there's already so much power,_ he thought.

"Now, my lord, please place your locket by your right foot," Cornelius said. "This object will travel with you to the human world.

"Good to hear," he said as he placed the locket down."

"Now place your object from this world by your left foot," he was told.

He reached up to the onyx ring on his finger and slowly removed it. He then shrugged and dropped it carelessly by his foot.

"Hold on," he said suddenly. "You two have been very helpful to me so far. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I wouldn't want you to be punished for helping me. Besides, you might be useful in the future."

They both shared a look and then smiled at him. "My lord," Careti said brightly "do not trouble yourself over us. We know how to take care of ourselves. We are both loyal to you above all others. We will always be here if you need us."

He smiled a bit at that. "Now, Cornelius, finish this now!" he demanded.

The old man moved to stand by the green stone. He aimed his hands at Ciel at loudly chanted foreign sounding words. A sudden sense of deja vu came over him, as if this exact same situation happened before. But it quickly left his mind as he felt himself moving. It felt like he was being quickly pulled upwards and everything turned into a mixture of white and gray. It made him forget everything for a moment. Where he left, where he was going, and why he was going. And he especially forgot the promise he made his brother. The promise to never take his ring off.

"_You must never take this ring off. Not only does it show your status, but you will help to keep you from harm. Now, promise me you always keep it on. And keep in mind that I always know when somebody has broken a promise to me."_

"I think that went rather well," Careti commented.

"Yes, everything is going according to plan," Cornelius said with a grin.

**XxxxxxX**

**A/N: Well, I hope that was worth the wait. I apologize again. Next chapter, Sebastian's reaction and ciel reunites with a certain blond. Also, if you guys have any suggestions as to what human memories Ciel had forgotten, let me know.**

**Review, please!**


	23. Return

**Disclaimer: ****Io non possedere nulla**

**A/N: Hello, my loyal followers! Things are starting to heat up in the story! And thanks for the reviews and the suggestions for Ciel's memory loss. And for the first time in awhile, we're starting the chapter with a flashback- and in Sebby's POV! Enjoy!**

**XxxxxxX**

"_Brother, let go of me!" the child whined._

"_Really, Ciel, this is hardly the time to be putting up a fuss! The ceremony is going to start soon. Do you want to mess your clothes up?" the elder scolded._

_He was already stressed enough without his brother's complaints. After centuries of war, he was finally taking the throne for himself. He had been busy all week preparing arrangments for his crowning and appointing his counselors and war officers. He had been afraid that Ciel would feel neglected from the lack of attention, but the boy showed no signs of displeasure. In fact, he almost looked...**happy** from the sudden lack of brotherly affection._

_He had presumed that it was an act. Ciel had never tired of his presence before, and he had no reason to start now. So he was surprised when the boy protested when he tried to hold him on his lap for the duration of the ceremony. Didn't Ciel want to take part in this honor with him? After all, the child was going to the Crown Prince after his brother was crowned king. Wouldn't this be the best way to be recognized? _

_He scowled as the boy once again tried to hop off of his lap. He tightened his grip and gave the younger a small smack on his leg._

"_Stop it, Ciel! You're not going anywhere and that's final!" he growled._

_Ciel decided that it was time to change managed to pull him self up so that he was straddeling his brother and put his arms around his neck. _

"_Brother, please see reason," the younger pleaded, using the pout that his brother often found hard to refuse. "You cannot be crowned king with a child on your lap! This is a one time thing. You need to look strong, fierce, and composed. You can't do that if i'm right on top of you! You'll look instead like a paranoid new mother. Do you want the people to mock you from the start?"_

_He sighed and leaned back. He hated to admit it, but his young one did have a point. He would look ridiculous with Ciel on his lap the entire time. But the peace was still so very fragile. It was in Ciel's best interest to be kept very close._

"_Fine, you can stand beside the throne then. We'll have to build you one as well so you can sit beside me," he added thoughtfully._

_He thought that Ciel would be content with new arrangment, but the boy still frowned. "Please Sebastian," he begged, his eyes wide "can't I just go stand in the crowd? This moment should be yours alone. Besides, I would just be in the way."_

_His eyes widened in surprise. Ciel had never requested to go off alone before. Well, not exactly **alone**-but groaned in frustration and clutched the child tighter. He was used to holding his brother a lot, but for some reason he never wanted to let go of him in that moment. He wanted to make a cage out of his arms and keep his little Ciel safe in them forever. He wanted to hold him like he would never see him again. But he told himself he was being ridiculous. He couldn't believe just how weak Ciel made him feel sometimes._

_He gestured for a nearby guard to come over. "The prince wishes to watch with the rest of the crowd," he said stiffly. "Guard him with your life and make sure no harm befalls him."_

"_Yes, my lord," the guard replied immediately._

_He grasped Ciel's chin gently and gave him a stern look. "Ciel, stay next to this guard at all times and be careful," he ordered. "You never know what enemies we might have lurking about. Promise me that you'll keep safe."_

"_Yes, Sebastian," his brother replied. He kissed the child's forehead before allowing him to climb off his lap and go to the front of the crowd with his guard. He watched the boy carefully. He couldn't help but notice that Ciel had inherited their mother's grace along with their father's silent aggression. The child was beautiful, and would attract as many admirers as he would enemies. But lucky for him, his brother would always keep him safe._

_He was brought out of his musings by the sound of trumpets, indicating that the ceremony was about to begin. For the next few hours his thoughts were filled with nothing but his coronation. He was wrapped in royal robes, given oathes of allegiance, and finally crowned. The applause in the room had been defeaning. He let them cheer for a few minutes before quieting down so that he could make his speech. When he had finished, he looked for his brother so that he could introduce him to the kingdom. Most of these people had never laid eyes on the younger prince before._

_After eyeing the crowd several times, he realized something horrific. Ciel was no longer there! His baby brother was missing! He ran over to the guard who was supposed to have been watching him. He was staring into space with a dull look in his eyes. The guard snapped out of it after his new king punched him in the face._

_He grabbed the man's collar and shook him. "Where is my brother!" he snarled._

_The guard shook his head a few times before answering. "The-the-the prince was right beside me," he stuttered. "The last thing I remember was the ceremony starting, my lord."_

"_That was over five hours ago!" the angry monarch howled. He ran his claw through the unfortunate guard's chest and pulled his heart out. He then threw it to the ground and stomped on it._

_Suddenly, he heard a voice whisper faintly in his head. "Sebastian..." It was his brother's voice! With a sudden panic, he turned to address the room. "All of you! Search for my brother and bring him back to me! Search the entire kingdom if you have to! Go now!" he commanded._

_They all hurried to do as their king commanded. Most of them called their servants to help look for their missing prince. They also rushed to leave the room in fear of the king's wrath. How could the prince leave and not one of them notice?_

_Sebastian paced the floor for hours. He pulled at his hair and berated himself. How could he have let Ciel out of his sight for even a moment? His father was only a week dead. He was bound to have had somene who wanted revenge for him! Oh, when he got Ciel back he was never going to let the boy go ever again! He would make sure his little one was always kept close to him and protected at all times._

"_Maybe he's just hiding," he whispered to himself. "Yes, he's always playing his little mischeivious games. Maybe he's hiding to get back at me for not paying him enough attention. A little game of hide- and- seek, like we used to play."_

_It wasn't until the next morning that he finally recieved anwsers. His guards had dragged in twenty six people in and threw them at his feet. He looked at them with muderous eyes, observing that they were all wearing identical purple cloaks and had the scent of magic about them._

"_Your Majesty," one guard said "we followed the prince's trail to the outskirts of the kingdom. It lead us to a small stone building. We broke inside only to catch a brief glimpse of your brother before he vanished. All of these people were in the room with him."_

_He grabbed one of them and held her in the air. She was young looking, with green eyes and long gray hair. And though her lips held a smirk, her eyes were full of fear. He snarled and smacked her across the face._

"_Who are you lot and what have you done with my brother?" he demanded in a furious tone._

_She widened her eyes in exaggerated innocence and shrugged. "Why, I haven't the faintest clue as to what you're saying, you usurper," she said mockingly._

_He growled and began to shake her back and forth, causing something to fall out of her pocket. He dropped her abruptly and picked it up. With a gasp of horror, he saw that it was Ciel's ring, the one that was supposed to keep him safe. With a wave of his hand, he set on girl on fire and watched as her body turned to ash._

"_Have these vermin interrogated thoroughly," he instucted. "After you've gotten all the information we need, drop them into the Punishment Pit." There was a gasp at that. The pit was where treacherous demons were sent to be punished. It was said to be worse than the punishments for the humans._

_He had expert torturers to help interrogate them, so it was only a few hours before the weaker -willed of the group confessed. They said that they had cast a spell that would erase his Ciel's memories and eventually reincarnate him as a human. They also didn't know how long it would take for that to happen, or if it even would. They said they did it in honor of his late father. They wanted revenge on their new king, so they went after his much loved brother._

_After he heard this, he sat completely still for what seemed for hours. "My little brother...is gone," he whispered. It wasn't long for all sorts of emotions to swell up in him. Loss, regret, rage, and deep sorrow. After awhile, his emotions gathered into a deadly force. And he knew just how to use it. _

_He hadn't been to the human world in awhile. But he recognized the area he had come to. China, he believed they were calling it now. He spotted a nest of rats in an alley nearby. He smirked and transferred bits of energy into the fleas on their back._

"_So, you humans think you can have my brother," he whispered sadistically. "Well, you're going to have to pay the price for him."_

_Two years later, as he was watching several humans covered in large black boils die in the street, he made an oath. "I'll find you, little brother," he said. "And I'll never let you go again, even if it means locking you in a cage."_

**XxxxxxX**

Sebastian was looking over a few maps when he suddenly had a feeling of foreboding. He looked around the room, only to see his men conversing and training. He then felt in Ciel's room, but the boy's presence was still in there. It felt relatively calm, so the child must still be asleep.

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He didn't often feel guilt, but he sure as hell was feeling it now. Ciel had certainly deserved punishment for disobeying him, but maybe he took the punishment too far. When he put his brother in that cage he was only remembering the oath he took that day so long ago. He let the thought of his brother previously being in a cage slip from his mind. Oh, when he finally went down to collect the younger demon, he had expected the child to be happy to see him. Happy that his brother was finally going to end his humiliating sentence. Or at least be defiant, proud little thing that he was. But instead, his little Ciel seemed to be in a catatonic state. He hung so lifelessly in his arms and reminded the monarch of..._that day _when they made their contract. Yes, he should have thought of another punishment, any other punishment.

"I'll make it up to him somehow," he vowed. "At least now he might accept my affections more eagerly."

"Your Majesty!" a voice called from far off. "Your Majesty, please come quickly!"

He recognized the voice as Phygra's. But he was supposed to be guarding Ciel! He felt his stomach sink as he swiftly made his way to his brother's door. It was wide open and he could see the entire room from the doorway. The windows had been busted through, the bed sheets were in dissaray, and some of the furniture had been toppled over. Phygra was in the center of the room with Careti giving him angry glances.

"What happened here?" he gasped. "Ciel, where are you? It's safe, you can come out!"

"Your Majesty, I'm afraid that the prince is no longer here," Phygra whispered.

He grabbed the water demon by the throat and lifted him into the air. "What are you talking about?" he yelled, sounding manic. "I can clearly sense him in here! Are you trying to hide him from me? Did you harm him? _Answer me!_"

"Your Majesty, look," Careti said gently. She went in a corner of the room and waved her hand at the wall. Two small blue hairs appeared and floated into her palm.

"What is that?" he asked through his teeth.

"Your Majesty, as Phygra was telling me, a band of angels came in here about an hour ago. They had apparently decided to attack the prince while he was sleeping. They must have put these hairs here so that you wouldn't noti-" she was cut off by her king's cry of rage.

He threw Phygra down by the female guard's feet. "I'll deal with you two incompetent fools later," he seethed. "Just go get my Ciel back. If he's not back here in the next half hour, you'll both be dearly sorry."

After they departed, he sunk down into a chair that was still upright. This was just like his coronation day. No, it was worse, for instead of traitors that had caused no real physical harm, his sweet brother was in the hands of angels. Who knew what they would do to the child! Perhaps he was already d- No, no, he wouldn't think it!

He let a smirk come over his face. "They probably thought this little stunt would distract me. But it seems I'll have to double my efforts."

**XxxxxxxX**

Ciel thought for sure that he was dreaming. Instead of a rusty shade, the sky was a baby blue. Instead of sand and dirt, the ground was covered with soft green grass. Instead of mountains and tall buildings, he was surrounded by trees. It was all very peaceful, the exact opposite of the place he just escaped. He breathed deeply and smiled. He was in Epping wood. He was familiar with the place for it was near London. He felt like he was _home_.

He spotted a small stream nearby. He walked over and scopped up a handful of water. Ah, had anything ever tasted so cool and refreshing? He then saw his reflection, which caused him to gasp. He looked positively human again! He fell back on the grass and laughed in joy and shock. This would only serve to make his mission easier. He could still feel his demon powers, so he would be able to care for himself just fine.

But before he went to find his beloved Lizzie, he would go through a walk in town. It seemed to be rather early, so not to many people would be out. He eagerly ran through the woods until his feet left grass and came to familiar cobblestone streets. He looked in awe at the shops and other establishments around him. It seemed a hundred years since he last layed eyes on him. He spotted a boy selling papers a few feet away. He made his way over to him.

"Excuse me, but would you mind telling me what day it is?" he asked politely. "I seem to have lost track of time."

"O' course, mistah!" the boy replied cheerfully. "It's da fourth o' May, it is. Summa's comin' on fast, in't?"

"Yes, I suppose it is," he replied breathlessly.

He couldn't believe that he had been gone for over six months! He could have sworn it was only two at the most. But that wasn't all. It seemed that he had arrived on a very special day. He decided it was best to cut his stroll through the city short. He quickly walked through town and then used his demon speed to run to his betrothed's house. It took about half an hour to arrive, but he didn't feel the least bit tired when he arrived.

It had been quite awhile since he had been to this mansion. Lizzie had usually come to his manor instead. Plus, he wasn't overly fond of his aunt and other cousin, so he decided it was best to visit as seldom as possible.

He was about to knock on the front door when he heard a faint cry. He cocked his head toward the sound and heard another one. He decided to follow it and came upon a garden full of pink and yellow flowers. Beside them was a young lady sitting at a small table. She was dressed in a pretty pink dress and had a few flowers in her hair, but she appeared to be crying softly.

He tiptoed behind her and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Now what could have caused such a pretty lady to cry so unattractively?" he asked softly.

She gasped and turned to face him. "C-Ciel?" she gasped in shock and wonder.

He smiled gently. "Happy fourteenth birthday, Elizabeth. I'm ever so sorry that I did not bring you a present, but I hope my presence will suffice."

**XxxxxxX**

**A/N: Wow, Sebastian's part lasted a lot longer than I planned. But I'm sure you guys don't mind. I made up Lizzie's birthday, but she seems like someone who was born in Spring/Summer. Next chap. will have Ciel getting back together with his friends and family. **

**Review!**


	24. Reunion

**Disclaimer: ****ek doen nie self iets**

**A/N: Hello again, mon amis! Thanks again for the support and the reviews. Do anyone of you watch "Epic Rap Battles Of History"? I've been listening to "Michael Jackson vs. Elvis Presley" and "Hitler vs. Darth Vader 2" nonstop all week. And I have no intentions of stopping any time soon, either. Also, for those of you who offered to draw art for this story, how's that going? Not that I'm trying to pressure you or anything, I'm just curious. :) Well, on to the part you actually want to read.**

**XxxxxxxX**

For a few long moments, they just stared at each other. Him with a calm, yet longing look. Her with a shocked and disbelieving, yet hopeful one. It was a surprisingly comfortable silence. Neither of them were willing to break the peace, lest it turn out that what they were seeing was simply an illusion.

A sudden gust of wind blew in their direction. It took a few loose petals off the flowers and carried them into his hair. He reached to remove them, but a soft peal of laughter stopped him. To his surprise, Lizzie was smiling- though her eyes were still shocked – and she reached up and gently removed the soft pink petals. He smiled a bit and caressed the back of her hand.

She looked at their touching hands for a moment before abruptly standing up. She grabbed his face a bit harshly and brought it closer to her own. He stood perfectly still as she stared into his eyes. He was beginning to get a bit worried. She had never acted like this before, even when she was surprised or scared.

"Ciel?" she whispered quietly. "Is it truly you? Have you come back to me?"

He gripped her shoulder with one hand and held her face with the other. "Yes," he whispered just as quietly "it's me. I'm back."

He honestly didn't expect her to faint. Despite her appearance, she just wasn't the swooning type. But when she suddenly slipped into unconsciousness, he easily caught her and held her up. He had to admit, it did feel quite nice to hold her.

"Hey! What is going on?" came a voice from behind. He turned to see a middle aged man wearing dirty clothes and brandishing a shovel. He figured that this was the gardener.

"I'm afraid that Lady Elizabeth has experienced a bit of a shock and has fainted away," he said calmly. "Please go fetch the matriarch of this house at once."

The man quickly nodded and ran into the house from a side door. He sighed and gently brushed her silky hair. She smiled in her sleep and whispered his name, which made him smile in return.

"What's all this?" a startled voice cried a few minutes later.

He turned to see a woman he never thought he'd see again. The mother of his betrothed and his father's younger sister. A stern, no-nonsense woman who had no tolerance for weakness or laziness. A woman who taught him how fence and married into a higher title than she was born with. A woman who was giving him the same shocked look that her daughter was a few moments ago.

"Hello again, Aunt Frances. I apologize that I had to greet you in such an unsavory fashion. Also, if it's not too much trouble, may I have permission to use your telephone?

**XxxxxxX**

Though the master of the Phantomhive manor had not been present for quite some time, it didn't mean that the house was unoccupied. His servants, ever so loyal, had decided that they would keep the manor in shape(i.e. try not to destroy it) until their master decided to return. After all, the young master never gave any indication that he was not going to return. They assumed it was taking him awhile to solve this particular case. And what kind of Phantomhive servants would they be if they weren't there when he returned?( as Mr. Sebastian would say...)

But that didn't mean that they were necessarily happy as the days slowly passed by. No, it just wasn't the same without their young lord and his efficient butler in the house, giving orders and correcting their mistakes. But perhaps it might have been a good thing. Since Sebastian wasn't around to fix everything and somehow make it even better, they finally taught themselves how to do their jobs correctly. It took a bit of time, but they wanted the young master to come home to a perfect house and perfect servants.

Bard found a book in the library about how to take things slow and stay calm. With that, he trained himself to prepare food slowly. He even read a few gourmet cookbooks to help improve his skills. "Just as -no- _even better _than Sebastian's!" he bragged one night. He put his flame thrower and dynamite away, only using them when a few intruders tried to break in.

Mey-Rin finally accepted the fact that she needed new glasses and reluctantly purchased a pair. She kept her old ones on her dresser as a memento of her generous master. It turned out that she really wasn't a bad maid. Well, when she could see, anyway. She no longer used too much soap or broke the dishes. She was in no hurry to do anything. She just tried to keep the large house clean. She even periodically washed the young master's and Mr. Sebastian's clothes so that they wouldn't be dusty when the pair returned.

Finny spent hours practicing controlling his strength. He carefully fingered delicate plants and saw how much pressure it took to break them. He trained himself to contain his emotions some so that he wouldn't break or kill something in a fit of happiness. He had Tanaka retrain him as a gardener and spent long hours making sure that the garden was healthy and thriving.

Tanaka took it upon himself to keep Funtom alive. Wouldn't the young master be angry to find that sales had plummeted during his absence? As the representative, he did all he could to keep it at the top, but sometimes he just couldn't handle it. He regrettably had to sell a few factories to some rather sleazy looking men. But they weren't anybody that the young master couldn't deal with. And sometimes, in secret, he would go into his young master's bedroom and reminisce. He would remake the bed and rearrange the clothing in the wardrobe. He always bowed in the doorway before he left.

"Maybe they aren't coming back," Bard blurted out one day as they were eating a light supper.

"What? How could you even say that?" Mey-Rin cried.

"Of course they'll be back, Bard! Why wouldn't they?" Finny demanded.

"Well, damn, guys! I think it's about time that we faced the facts!" the disgruntled chef yelled. "It's been nearly five months – five _months_- since we heard from them last! We all know how dangerous the young master's job is and how many enemies he has! I think we need to accept the possiblilty that our master has met his maker."

To his surprise, it was Tanaka who retaliated. The other two servants broke down in sobs at the thought of Master Ciel being dead, but the old man changed into his stable form and walked up to the chef. He smiled gently and put his hand on the blond's shoulder.

"Perhaps it's all my years of serving this family," he said slowly, thoughtfully "but I just know in my old heart that Ciel Phantomhive is not dead. I've known that boy since the day he was born, and believe me, he possesses an unbelievably strong will. He's always done the most difficult of tasks and overcome every problem. I don't know what is taking him so long to return, but just know that he _will_. What kind of Phantomhive servants would we be if we didn't have faith in our master?" With that, he turned back into his miniature form and sipped his green tea.

They all laughed a bit at that. "Okay, I guess you guys are right," Bard said sheepishly. "We'll wait for the young master forever if we have to."

The next few weeks passed by as normal. They made conversation, cleaned and cooked, and only had to call a contratctor to fix a part of the house they destroyed once. Then one sunny afternoon in May, they recieved a phone call. They were surprised, for the last few months had been fairly quiet. They were all in the kitchen, and Tanaka decided to answer. After he answered, he went pale and gasped. They other servants looked at him worriedly, wondering what could have caused him to look like that.

He turned to face them after he hung up. "Everyone, prepare to travel immediately to the Middleford manor," he instructed. "The young master wants us to meet him there."

**XxxxxxxX**

Ciel looked down at his sleeping fiancee's face. She looked so peaceful lying in bed, surrounded by her stuffed animals. They had brought her in here soon after he greeted his aunt. Though she looked confused, she lent him the use of their telephone. And now the whole family, including Uncle Alexis and Cousin Edward, were sitting at the young girl's bedside. And though they had been there for at least half an hour, nobody had said anything. While he stared at his future wife, everyone else was staring at him. They had not seen nor heard from this boy for nearly half a year. Why did he show up now?

"Ahem, Ciel?" his aunt finally asked.

"Yes, Aunt Frances?" he answered quietly, not taking his eyes of Lizzie.

"Ciel, where have you been all this time? We haven't seen you in so long," she said, not sounding stern for once.

He turned to her and smiled sadly. "If you don't mind terribly," he said "I'd rather wait for her to awaken before I tell my story."

"Well, I certainly hope it's a bloody good one!" Edward suddenly snapped. He marched over to the younger boy and seized his collar. "Do you have any idea of the pain you've caused her? Of how much she's worried about you? Of how many nights she's cried herself to sleep? She's done nothing but pine for you all this time! And you didn't even bother to write, you son of-"

"Edward, stop this right now!" a high-pitched voice called.

"Elizabeth!" they all gasped in unison, for the girl was now awake.

"Lizzie!" Edward cried joyfully and embraced her.

She embraced him back for a moment before pushing him away. Her eyes searched the room until they landed landed on a certain blue haired boy.

"Ciel!" she cried and crawled across her bed until she was by his side. She flung her arms around him and started to sob. "Oh my God, it's really you, isn't it? So that wasn't some beautiful dream after all? Oh, darling Ciel, you have no idea how much I've missed you! I thought that you were never coming back! It was just like that month after your parents died!"

"Oh, Lizzie," he sighed and stroked her hair.

There was a sudden knock at the door. After the marchioness gave the knocker permission to enter, a maid walked in and curtseyed. "My Lady, there are several people in the lounge. They said that they're looking for their 'young master'."

Frances gave a curt nod and replied "Yes, tell them that we will all be there presently." She looked over to her nephew. "Maybe now we can all get an explanation."

**XxxxxxxX**

"So, he's gone, is he?" a figure in a black robe asked.

"Yes, Your Majesty," a feminine voice replied. "Though this time it was of his own free will."

"My, my," the figure mused. "I'm sure Sebastian is going to be quite put out. I think I almost feel sorry for the poor boy."

"What are you planning on doing, my lord?" the second voice inquired.

"I think it's about time I paid little Ciel a visit," the figure replied.

**XxxxxxX**

Lizzie quickly composed herself and asked them all to leave so she could get dressed.

"Lizzie, are you sure? You jst had a fainting spell, after all," her father said in a concerned voice.

She smiled and kissed his cheek. "Yes, father. I don't think I've felt this good for a long time."

"Young Lady, which dress would you like to wear?" Paula, her maid said enthusiatically. She then turned to him. "Oh, and it's so very nice to see you again, Earl!"

He gave her a confused look before walking out the door. _I've never seen her before,_ he thought. _Why does she act like she knows me?_

"I'll wait until she's ready beofre I join you all in the lounge," he announced to his family members.

"Fine," his aunt replied. "It's nice to see you acting like a proper fiance for once."

He smirked. "I suppose so," he replied.

He waited for about ten minutes before Lizzie and her brunette maid emerged. Lizzie always had a talent of making herself beautiful in a very short time, and today was no exception. She was wearing a long light blue gown with a few silver robbons. She wore matching ribbons in her hair and wore silver shoes.

She gave him a small curtsey. "How do I look, Lord Phantomhive," she asked teasingly.

He grinned and kissed her hand. "Why, you look simply ravishing, my lady," he replied. That was always what his father said when his mother asked about her appearance.

She giggled and took his arm. "we best hurry to the longue," she said. "I'm sure everyone wants to hear your story. Besides, we recently put up the cuuuutest wallaper!"

When a servant opened the door for him, he expected to calmly be led to a seat. But instead, he was hit with a whirlwind of brown, blue, and purple.

"Ciel!" an accented voice cried and hugged him tightly.

"What the- Why are _you_ here!" he cried and tried to pry the sobbing Indian off of him.

"My prince, perhaps we shouldn't have come until Lord Ciel asked for us," a white haired man said as he dragged the royal away from his angry friend.

"Nonsense, Agni! I'm sure my little brother merely forgot to invite us in his excitment to arrive back home," the smaller Indian, Soma, replied.

He gritted his teeth over the "little brother" remark. Those were words that he never wanted to hear again. He was also surprised that Soma managed to find a servant who would tolerate him.

"Young master!" several voices suddenly cried.

He turned to see a few familiar faces. His servants were standing a few feet away from him. They all had happy expressions, and Mey-Rin and Finny were crying. Tanaka respecfully bowed his head.

"Ah, it seems Lord Earl has returned at last!" a voice to the left said. "But where is Master Butler?"

Ciel turned to see a Chinese man grinning at him. On his lap was a girl wearing very inappropriate clothing.

_Who in the world are they?_ he wondered. But before he could ask, Mey-Rin spoke up.

"Yes, young master, where is Mr. Sebastian?" she asked. "It's not like him to be away from you."

"Don't ever mention him again, any of you!" he yelled loudly.

They all stared at him in shock. "But, why, young master?" Finny asked, tears gathering in his eyes. "What happened to Mr. Sebastian?"

"Let's just say I had to let him go and leave it at that," he said firmly.

"Ciel, what exactly happened to you?" Lizzie asked.

**XxxxxxX**

**A/N: Writing romance is HARD!** **But I hope you guys enjoyed it. So, it seems that Ciel has forgotten a few things. Next chapter will have Ciel trying to get back to his old life and a certain someone pays him a visit. Also, my last day of school is next week so I'll have more time to write. **

**Review! **


	25. Story

**Disclaimer: Ben kendi hiçbir şeyi**

**A/N: Good news, everyone! As of yesterday, I am officially a high school graduate! Also, I want to thank xxSweet Memory for drawing art for this story. To find it: (1) go to photobucket (2)type "SNOWC00KIES" in the search bar (3) click on the link to her profile and the picture should be right there. :) Let me just say that I LOVE IT! Well, to the story.**

**XxxxxX **

Ciel took a deep breath and walked over to an empty couch, where he slowly sat down and ran his fingers through his hair. He wished he would have thought about this part of his plan more thoroughly. He should have known that these people would want to know what became of their beloved Sebastian. Someone sat beside him and rested their hand on his shoulder. He looked over and saw his Lizzie giving him a reassuring smile. That gave him the confidence to continue.

"On my mission for the queen...I ran into some... problems," he said slowly. "The actual mission itself was easy. I was able to finish that within a few days."

"Then what have you been doing all this time?" Lizzie asked.

"I ran into a bigger problem," he replied. "I came across an underground organization that was against the queen. All this time I've been slowly eradicating them. I would have wrote, but I didn't want to take the chance of the letter falling in to the wrong hands. And...I can't explain it, but I think there might be something wrong with me."

"What do you mean?" Frances asked her nephew.

"It's like...there's a part of me that's missing," he said quietly. Even though he felt comfortable to be in these surroundings, something just didn't feel right.

"But what about Mr. Sebastian?" Mey-Rin asked nervously. "Why did you fire him, sir?"

"I realized that I was far too dependent on him," he replied snippily. "I decided it was in my best interest to get rid of him so I could be more functional on my own. Now, enough of this subject." He looked at his four servants. "I assume that since you're all here that you're still living in the manor?"

"Yes, young master," Tanaka replied. "We have all been loyally waiting for your return and protecting the manor to the best of our abilities."

"And we're now better at our jobs!" Finny added excitedly. "I can control my strength now and the garden is more beautiful then ever!"

"I-I finally got new glasses so the manor is now always clean, yes it is!" Mey-Rin exclaimed.

"And I learned how to take things slow so my cooking's not half bad," Bard said, calmer then his two companions.

"If I might say so, I can manage to stay in a stable form for a long time now," Tanaka said. "If my lord will allow me, I would like to resume my former roll as a butler."

"Very well," he replied. "I must admit, I never thought I'd see the day where you lot were actually competent."

"Yes, young master!" they all exclaimed happily.

"Aw, how nice it is to see little Lord Phantomhive's servants show how much they care!" the Chinese man said. "I'm sure that my lord feels blessed to have such loyal servants."

"Alright, just who the hell are you?" he finally snapped. "And why do you claim to know me?"

Everyone in the room gasped. "Why, Lord Earl has forgotten me, his loyal pawn? I'm deeply hurt by this, my lord," the man said, looking distressed(or at least pretending to).

"Young master, do you mean to say that you've forgotten Mr. Lau?" Finny asked in a worried voice.

"No, I do not recall ever seeing this man before in my life," he replied.

"Ciel," his aunt said "when you were dispatching this group, did you obtain some sort of head injury? Memory loss is common with those."

He decided that this was a good opportunity. "Now that you mention it, I do believe that did happen. About four months ago, one of the group's members caught me and hit me in the head with a wooden board. It didn't render me unconscious so I managed to get away. But ever since then I've been forgetting little things like where I put my shoes or my favorite color."

"Ciel, is there anyone else in here that you don't recognize?" Lizzie asked softly.

"Besides those Chinese folk, I don't recognize the taller Indian or your maid," he said. He feverently hoped that he wasn't supposed to know those people.

At this news, Paula merely looked sad and lowered her eyes. But the taller Indian looked shocked and tears welled up in his eyes. Soma went over and hugged him.

"Don't worry, Agni," he soothed. "I'm sure we can regain Ciel's memories in time."

"I wish Madame Red was here," Lizzie sighed wistfully. "Maybe she would know what to do."

"Who's Madame Red?" he asked.

Again, everyone gasped. "Ciel, how could you forget Aunt Ann of all people?" Lizzie exclaimed, aghast.

"Is she Madame Red or Aunt Ann? Who are you talking about?" he asked irritably.

"Oh, Ciel," she sighed sadly and took his hand. "She is -was- your mother's sister. She was a doctor and we looked up to her. You both loved each other a lot. She...she died last November so you can't meet her again."

He frowned. "Well, if she's dead then I suppose it doesn't matter."

When Lizzie opened her mouth to protest, he held up his hand to silence her. "You know that I do not like to dwell on the past," he said sternly. "I do not wish to waste time pining over someone whom I cannot remember."

After a few moments of silence, Tanaka spoke up. "Young master, perhaps it is time we returned to the manor. I'm sure that you're tired after your journey and would like to rest in your own bedroom again. And maybe being back home would help trigger some memories."

"Yes, that sounds like a good idea," he said and stood up.

Lizzie grabbed his sleeve to keep him from moving. "You're leaving so soon?" she cried. "But you just got back!"

He bent down and kissed her forehead(and ignored the growl Edward let out). "I need some time alone right now. But you can come by the manor first thing tomorrow and we'll spend the day together. You can even make the manor 'cute' if you want," he soothed.

She let out a happy cry and hugged him. "Thank you, Ciel!"

"Anything to please you," he whispered.

**XxxxxxX**

"You two are completely useless!" the angry monarch cried. He was sitting on his throne and clutching the arm rests tightly.

"We're sorry, Your Majesty, but we couldn't find any trace of the prince!" Careti said. Her head was bowed and she was trembling with fear. İt would be a pity if Sebastian killed her now and she couldn't continue with her plan.

"Sorry? You're _sorry!_" Sebastian continued to rage. "'Sorry' isn't going to bring my brother back to me, now is it? Honestly, I give you the specific task of keeping him safe, and you can't even do that right! Who knows what could be happening to him right now!"

"Your Majesty?" Phygra said quietly. When they returned without Ciel, Sebastian had punched him in the face – hard. His skin was torn and blood dripped down his cheek and neck.

"What is it?" Sebastian growled.

"You have a special bond with your brother, yes? I believe your lordship has said before that you can tell what the prince is feeling if you try hard enough. Is it possible that you can do that now?" he asked, keeping his head down.

Sebastian was a bit annoyed that he hadn't already thought of doing that, but he was sure going to do it now. He closed his eyes and concentrated on Ciel. It took a moment, but he was beginning to feel a few things. Calmness, contentedness,and...happiness? If Ciel was in the hands of angels, shouldn't he be afraid and possibly in pain? He couldn't comprehend why his brother would be _happy_ of all things. Perhaps they were giving him peaceful visions so he wouldn't try to escape?

"I need to be alone," he said suddenly. "You two continue your search. And if you dare come back to me empty handed again, there will be severe consequences. Understand?"

"Yes, Your Majesty," they said and quickly vanished.

He sighed deeply and slowly started to walk back to his room. He hadn't gone in there for four years. It was a place he usually went to relax, but since Ciel arrived he had barely thought about it. He noticed with a wince that the door creaked a bit when he opened it. He stepped into the familiar cool darkness.

He could see perfectly fine in the dark so he had no desire to bring in any sort of light. He walked over to his seldom used bed and sat on it heavily. This was the only place where he could afford to let his guard down. He sighed and ran his hands through his hair. _Why does no one want me to have my brother?_ He wondered. _I know Ciel resents it, but it really is for the best that he's locked up and guarded. Even when he was human he was kidnapped at least once a week. _He snickered at the exaggeration.

He decided to go into the room on the left. He was always able to relax better in there. The chessboard patterned carpet made him smile in nostalgia. When he got Ciel back, he would have to make sure to get the chessboard out and challenge the boy to a few games.

He walked over to the wall full of pictures of Ciel and smiled sadly. He never quite understood what it was about the boy that made him feel so...so..._loving._ Ever since the child was born, Sebastian had only wanted to protect him and keep him happy. Maybe it was because the demon had raised the boy like his own son. Indeed, once he had Ciel, all thoughts of having his own children seemed to vanish.

He ran his fingers over the painting of his coronation. Really, how could something like this happen _twice? _He was going to have to keep the boy with him at all times after this. It seemed that the monarch was the only one who could keep Ciel from harm. As one of his fingers brushed over the tiny painted ring on his brother's finger, he felt a sudden pressure in his chest.

"What's this?" he whispered. Even as he spoke, he felt a familiar feeling go through him, something that he usually experienced with messengers and nobles. The feeling of a broken promise. Suddenly a vision of a small pale hand taking a ring off of small fingers and dropping it to the floor came into his mind.

"He took his ring off?" he hissed. "Why?"

As he looked closer at the painting, he noticed that something was missing. He scratched at the painted blue hair only to find that nothing was there.

Now that he thought about it, he sensed no angelic presence in the room nor did he catch their scent.

"What is going on here?" he hissed.

**XxxxxxX**

Ciel had never been so happy to see childhood home. Even when he was in captivity, he knew that his family was dead and the place was burnt to the ground. He knew in his heart that there was nothing to come back to. But this time, when he knew there were people and a home waiting for him, it hurt to know that he may never see them again. Now that he was, he felt fantastic.

When they arrived back at the manor, the servants were quick to show him their new skills. He was honestly amazed at how beautiful the garden was and how clean and tidy the manor was. Bard made him an excellent dinner that was not burnt in any way. And Tanaka resumed his butler duties with ease. After wards, he wandered through the house and marveled at the familiar rooms and furniture. He wondered it this was all just some magnificent dream.

When he came across the portrait of his parents, he just stared at it for what seemed like hours. It was odd, but although he knew the people in the painting were his parents, he didn't recognize him. Not for the most part, anyway. He recognized his mother's eyes and his father's hair, but that was about it. He ordered the servants to move the painting back into the main hall so he could look at it more often.

As soon as night came he went to bed. It was no nice to be in his plain white nightshirt and his own bed again. He went over to the window and gave his grounds one last look for the day. And although he thought they were beautiful, he couldn't help but think of another garden somewhere far away.

"Everything is so pretty in the moonlight, don't you agree?" a voice said from behind him.

He quickly turned to face the intruder. It seemed to be nothing more than a tall shadow. He could tell somehow that it meant him no harm, but he could also feel suppressed maliciousness in it.

"Who are you?" he demanded coolly.

"Oh, someone who's been wanting to meet you for along time," the shadow replied.

"What do you want?" he demanded again.

"You're rather demanding for one so small," the shadow chuckled.

"Tell me what you want or leave immediately!" he yelled. He was not one to be toyed with.

"Alright, young one, calm down," the shadow replied it what might have been a soothing voice. "I'm actually here to help you."

"Help me?" the young Earl replied incredulously. "What could you possibly help me with?"

"Well, dear Earl, I have to say that I quite admire the work you do up here," it said. "And I could help you...forget any things, or people, that might be distracting you."

"What do you mean?" he asked with narrowed eyes.

"Let me get right to the point, Ciel," it said. "I know that you want to forget about your brother Sebastian and continue with your human life. I can help you with that."

"How do you know this?" he demanded angrily. "Who _are_ you?"

"That is of no importance at the time," it replied. It began to slowly fade. "I'll give you some time to think about it. If you ever want to talk again, just think of me and I'll appear." By the time it finished that sentence, it had vanished completely.

He went back to his bed and sat down. This could be the chance he was waiting for. But could he really erase Sebastian from his mind? And he had no way of knowing if he could trust that thing.

He had a feeling that he would not get much sleep that night.

**XxxxxxX**

**A/N: This chapter...so hard to write for some reason... So, Ciel's a good little liar and Sebby is on to something. Next chapter will have...I'm not really sure yet.**

**Review!**


	26. Trauma

**Disclaimer: Я не маю нічога**

**A/N: S'up? Thanks again for the reviews and faves! Since I now have more time, I'm going to try and update twice a week. I've been working on this thing since January and I kinda want it to be done already so I can write other stuff. Not that I'm going to rush to the ending, of course. We've still got a bit to go. So, here we go!**

**XxxxxxX**

He couldn't believe that it had already been a month since he arrived back home. It felt like he had never left. It was very easy to fall back into his old routines. Except now he worked a little less and spent more time with his dear Lizzie. And since the servants could now do their jobs properly, he hardly gave Sebastian a thought.

He had requested that nobody spread the word that he was back in London just yet. He didn't want to resume his Guard Dog duties so soon after "he just came back from a mission". Besides, that meant that nobody would send assassins to his house and everybody was safe. For these past weeks he felt as though he didn't have a care in the world.

Lizzie came over for a few hours each day. Her mother had tried to protest, but she knew that no stern words or punishment could keep her daughter away from her fiancé. So she simply told the girl to not do anything indecent and be back in time for her fencing lesson. Edward tried to protest by saying that his cute sister shouldn't waste her time on a boy who kept disappearing, but he was quickly shushed.

Lizzie and him spent their in various ways. Since she would arrive late in the morning, they would always have afternoon tea first. Sometimes afterward they would take a stroll in the garden. Other times they would discuss a book or their favorite childhood memories. He often taught her about chess. After lunch, she would make the manor and servants "cute" while he just stood by and smiled softly. Then they would retire to the drawing room where she would try to help him recover his memories.

"Do you remember that time we had a ball here?"

"When was that?" he asked. He didn't recall them ever throwing a ball together.

"Well, it wasn't really a 'ball'," she giggled. "It was last year. I had come over and decorated the manor while you were out. I decided that we needed to have a dance, just you and me. I even got you this cute blue outfit!"

"That sounds nice," he commented.

"Yes," she said faintly and looked down.

"What is it?" he asked. "Is something the matter?"

"Well," she said nervously "I had picked out this nice ring that matched your outfit. But you wanted to wear your family instead. So like a little brat a threw a temper tantrum and broke it."

"What? But it's perfectly fine!" he exclaimed. He looked at the silver ring on his thumb.

"Yes, I wondered about that, too," she said. "I think you told me that you found someone who could fix it."

"Well, no matter what happened, I wish that I could remember," he sighed.

She just smiled brightly at him. "Not to worry, dear. I'm sure it'll come back to you eventually."

She always left two hours before dinnertime. He would always walk her to her carriage. For the first week, he would kiss her goodbye on the hand. On the second week, they would kiss each other's cheeks. On the third week, they added each other's forehead. But on the fourth week, she changed it all. He had leaned in to peck her check when she gently grabbed his face. They looked into each other's eyes for a moment before slowly closing the gaps between their mouths. It was their first kiss together, and they both felt that it was perfect.

They continued to do it every day the past week. They would kiss on greeting, after tea, in the garden, in the library, in the drawing room, and on parting. He always felt fond towards her, but now he believed that he was falling in love. He never wanted to part with her ever again. One day, he went out and bought a gold charm bracelet. He had little golden letters put on it that spelled out "I LOVE YOU" and they each had a little emerald between them. When he presented it to her, she squealed in excitement and joy.

"Oh, Ciel, it's just perfect!" she exclaimed. Her eyes were beginning to tear up.

He smiled and pulled out his locket. "Now we both have a memento of each other," he said.

She burst into sobs and flung her arms around him. "You still have it!" she choked out.

"Of course," he said soothingly and rubbed her back. "I would never want to forget you, Lizzie. I love you."

She responded by giving him a passionate kiss on the lips. "I love you, too," she replied.

He decided that it was time to permanently move forward.

**XxxxxxxX**

It was a few hours after dinner and was pacing the floor in his study. He kept wondering if what he was planning on doing was really the right thing to do. Since these people also knew Sebastian, it would be a hindrance if he was the only one to forget the demon butler. Maybe the shadow-thing could erase _everyone's _memories of Sebastian?

"Did you come to a decision?" a voice asked.

He turned to see the shadow standing by his desk. The thing seemed to be at ease, but he was apprehensive. After all, he still didn't know if he could trust this thing yet. He confidently walked toward it and gave it a cold look.

"Perhaps," he said. "But there are a few things I want to know first."

"Oh? Like what?" it asked, sounding surprised.

"For starters, who, or _what_, are you?" he asked.

"I should have known that you would ask that," it sighed. "You always were such a clever boy."

"There you go again! How do you know me? _Who are you?_" he demanded angrily.

"How about we go somewhere else to talk?" it suddenly suggested. "There are only certain places where I can explain some things."

"Oh, really?" he sneered. "Do you really expect me to follow you to some secluded location where you could possibly hurt me or worse? Do I look stupid to you?"

"I'm sure that you have every right to be suspicious," it drawled "but we both know that I do not aim to harm you. And even if I tried, you still have your demon powers to fight me off. If it makes you feel better, you can even bring a gun or knife with you. So what do you say?"

"And where would we be going?" he asked slowly.

"Just a little place a few miles from here," it said. "I assure you that it would just be you and me there. But I'm growing weary of this. Either go with me now or don't bother me again."

He scowled and walked over behind his desk. "Fine!" he snapped as he took a gun out of one of the drawers. He made sure it was loaded before carefully putting it in his pocket.

"Good. Now if you would please touch my hand..." it said as it held said hand out. When the boy gave him a suspicious look, he sighed and said "I'm merely going to transport us there. Would you prefer to walk at this time of night?"

He huffed and quickly grabbed the dark hand before he could talk himself out of it. He felt a weir pulling sensation and suddenly everything went dark. A sudden spark in front of him caught his attention. The shadow had lit a match and was using it to light a few torches that lit up the room they were in. It was about the size of his study. The floor was made of dirt and the walls looked to be made of old wood. There were a few strange symbols on the wall and one bookshelf in the corner. A small window was at the top the right wall, letting moonlight flood in. Besides that, the room was empty.

"Where are we?" he demanded.

"I told you, were a few miles from your manor," it replied. It then opened a previously unseen door and gestured for him to look out of it. He looked out and saw they were in a small building near the forest. He could see his home in the distance.

"Now that you're satisfied, can we get down to business?" it asked sardonically.

He turned and scowled at it. "Yes," he said coldly. "And I believe you never answered my question. So I'll repeat: who are you?"

The shadow being sighed and pulled the hood of his cloak down. Ciel couldn't help but gasp. This man looked like Sebastian! Well, not exactly. He looked..._old. _Or at least middle-aged. He had fading black hair that went down to his shoulders. He had a small mustache and goatee. His black eyes looked tired and world-weary and had crows-feet around them. His forehead and cheeks sported a few wrinkles.

"W-who are you?" he demanded.

The man chuckled softly. "I have a feeling that you know, but I'll explain anyway. I am the former ruler of the Underworld."

"But...but that would make you-" he said faintly.

"Yes, I am Sebastian's – and I suppose _your –_ father," the man said with a slight frown.

"But how can this be?" he asked, dumbfounded. "I thought Sebastian killed you!"

"Indeed, my arrogant and ambitious son did do everything in his power to eliminate me," the man explained. "But it's nearly impossible to kill a demon like myself. It did weaken me considerably, though. I've been hiding in this realm for the past few centuries."

"And why are you trying to 'help me'?" he demanded suspiciously. "I was told that you tried to kill me before I was even born!"

"I'm afraid that you were conceived at a very bad time, my boy," the older demon said. "I was afraid that you were going to be another Sebastian. But I later regretted it, believe it or not. Especially when I heard how much your brother enjoyed you. But to answer your question, you're the son that I would have liked to have. You're strong, smart, not a show-off, and you're content with the amount of power that you have. I would have preferred you as my first born."

"Is that all?" he asked with narrowed eyes. Flattery never phased him. "Or do you have some ulterior motive?"

The man – his father – shrugged. "Hey, if I can help out my favored son while hurting your brother at the same time, then why not? But I would really appreciate it if we hurried along. I have to use strong royal magic in order to sustain his form."

"Royal magic?" he gasped. "But surely Sebastian is searching for me! If royal magic is detected here-" as he spoke, he began to feel like he was being watched. He looked at the window and saw a few pairs of tiny yellow eyes staring at him. He even heard them speak.

"_Is that him?"_

"_It is! We found him!"_

"_But what's he doing here?"_

"_Who cares? Just go inform the king of this!"_

"Damn it! They've found me!" he yelled. But Sebastian couldn't find him now, not when he was so happy! The last thing he wanted was for that demon to literally drag him back to Hell.

"Damn and blast!" the man swore. "I'll try and hold them off. You go somewhere and hide. Go now!"

He ran outside and used his demon speed to quickly arrive back at his house. He almost yanked the door off its hinges in his haste to get inside. He then forced himself to calmly walk to his room. It was midnight now, so all of the servants were probably asleep. He slowly opened his door and walked into the dark room. As soon as the door was shut behind him, a hand grabbed his shoulder and the lights came on. He was spun around to face a pair of malicious pink eyes.

"Sebastian!" he gasped, for it was indeed his brother.

He had never seen Sebastian this angry. His hair and clothes were in disarray. All of his teeth were sharpened and bared. His breath was coming out in hisses. His eyes held unbearable fury and were staring into the younger's frightened blue ones. His clawed hand was digging into the boy's shoulder. He seemed to be too angry too speak.

After a few minutes of silence, the older demon finally spoke. "Well, Ciel," he said in a slow, dark voice "do you want to tell me what you're doing in this place?"

Before he even had time to open his mouth, Sebastian kicked him hard in the stomach and sent him flying into a wall. He barely had time to process the blow before Sebastian roughly grabbed him by the neck. The older demon growled and rammed him repeatedly into the wall. He then seized the boy's ear and pulled it toward his mouth.

"Answer the question!" he demanded.

When Ciel still didn't answer, he threw the boy to the ground and started to stomp on him.

"Answer me now!" the angry demon yelled.

"S-stop," was all he managed to choke out.

Sebastian grabbed him by the hair and pulled him up. "Since you don't want to answer your king, I suppose that I'll just have to use another method," he seethed.

Without warning, he rammed two of his fingers right into Ciel's forehead. The younger demon screamed and tears fell out of the corners of his eyes. This was the worst pain he ever felt in his life! And the fact that it was coming from Sebastian just made it worse. Everything from when he woke up after being let out of the cage to just then went through his mind. He knew that Sebastian was seeing it all, too.

He screamed as the demon pulled his fingers out of his now bleeding head. Sebastian just looked at him for a moment before punching him in the face. The demon was still holding his hair, so the force made him swing back and forth. He stopped when Sebastian grabbed his chin.

The monarch had a twisted grin on his lips and he chuckled loudly. "Did I ever tell you, little brother, that as my ward you are technically my property?" he said in a fake pleasant voice. "And you know what? I don't like it when my property disobeys me."

Ciel cried out as Sebastian suddenly lunged forward and ripped out the child's throat with his sharp teeth. Blood instantly spilled out, covering them both. He could now only make a strained gurgling sound. Sebastian tossed him carelessly again to the floor and stepped on the younger's chest, making sure to dig his heels in.

"Do you what I kept you around for when you were born?" he ranted. "It was so you could make me happy. And for a long time you did just that. But now that you're not, what good are you?" he stomped on the boys stomach, causing the heel to pierce through the boy's skin. He continued to beat Ciel mercilessly for the next hour.

"If you love it so much here, than you can just stay here," he finally spat at the bloody and wounded child at his feet. He then disappeared into the darkness. It seemed that he had an "old friend" to deal with.

For awhile, all Ciel could focus on was the pain. But slowly, slowly, images began to fill his head. He soon realized that these were the memories that Sebastian had so desperately wanted to unlock. He could do nothing but lay there as they filled his mind completely.

**XxxxxxX**

**A/N: Jeez, how did I go from CXL fluff to THAT? I amaze me sometimes. And if you're wondering why the servants didn't help Ciel, well, they are in the freakin' basement. And it's possible that Sebby put a sound barrier around Ciel's room. ** **Also, congrats to the person who guessed the shadow was their father. I hope you guys like flashbacks, because next chapter is gonna be full of them. If there's anything special you want to see, let me know!**

**Review!**


	27. Unlocked

**Disclaimer: **मैं खुद कुछ नहीं है

**A/N: Hi again, guys, Thanks again for the feedback and support. And yay, up to 200 reviews! As of this chapter, we are done with part 3 of this story and moving on to part 4(which is the last one, sorry.) To make up for the scary! Sebby last chapter, here's ten pages of fluff. And since the entire thing is going to be flashbacks, I'll put them in normal text instead of italics.**

**XxxxxxX**

He looked around curiously. He was just in a dark, cramped place, and now he was in a bright, open one. He began to squirm when he realized that he was being carried away from the warm place that he had just come from. He was just about to cry when he was placed in a different set of arms. He looked up into a pair of red eyes.

"Oh my," said the person who was now holding him. "What strange eyes you have, little one."

The red eyes suddenly came closer as the arms around him lifted him higher. He was placed against warm flesh that rubbed against his. The sensation caused him make pleased noises. His pleasure grew when he found something dark and soft to tug on, which made his holder make a series loud noises and made his body rumble.

Somebody else was talking now. The warm eyes looked back at him for a moment before turning back to the other noise. Then suddenly he was moving again. His sensitive eyes tried to make sense of the things they were seeing. Everything was so different than a few moments ago. But the arms around him made him feel secure.

He let out a small noise when they stopped moving. His holder had put him down on something soft and then walked away. He barely had time to whimper before the man returned and sat down next to him. He was then placed in the man's lap.

"Most newborn babes are fed the blood of their parents in order to establish a bond," the man said while gently prying open his mouth. "But since your parents aren't here, I'll give you my blood. It's best that we form a strong relationship, don't you think?"

The man put a finger against a sharp tooth and carefully sliced the appendage open. He watched fascinated as a liquid that matched the man's eyes came pouring out of the large finger. The finger was then gently placed against his tongue. His instincts took over and he gleefully sucked on the wound, wanting more of the delicious liquid.

The man hummed happily and stroked his head. "Your eyes remind me of the sky in the human world," he said. "How about I call you 'Ciel', then? I think that you deserve a nice name."

He cooed happily and continued to feed.

**XxxxxxX**

He whined softly and squirmed in his nanny's arms.

"Hush, little one," she soothed. "I'm sure your brother will be finished with his...business... soon."

He ignored her and stared at Sebastian's door. They were waiting on a bench about twenty feet away from it. The older prince had told them to wait out there while he went into his room with one of the young maids. He didn't know what they were doing, but he could hear heavy breathing and an occasional yell.

After what seemed like an eternity, they finally emerged. The maid's long hair was tousled and her clothes were rumpled, but she didn't seem to mind. She smiled brightly and she curtsied at Sebastian before skipping off. Sebastian himself was only wearing his long black robe and his hair was also tousled. The appearance made the infant laugh softly. But his smile turned into a grimace when his brother walked over to them. The elder was covered in a horrible stink! He buried his face in his nanny's chest to try and escape it.

"I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long," he heard his brother say.

"Oh, not at all, my lord!" the nanny said. "It's my pleasure to wait on you, no matter what."

"I'll be taking Ciel back now," Sebastian stated. He reached out his hands to retrieve the infant.

But when the nanny tried to hand him off, he whined and clung to her. He did not want to get any closer to that stink.

"What's wrong with him?" Sebastian demanded.

"I- I don't know, my lord. He was fine just moments ago," she said. She tried to pry his tiny nails out of her shirt.

He felt his brother's hands try to get around him. "Come now, Ciel, let go. It's time to come with me now," he cooed.

The smell was starting to make his nose twitch. Apparently, the nanny noticed this.

"My lord," she said a bit nervously. "I think perhaps that he doesn't like the..._current smell_ on you."

"You think?" Sebastian asked. He put his finger in front of the younger's nose to test it. When he tried to squirm away, Sebastian laughed. "I suppose that is the problem, then." He then wrenched his brother away from the nanny and began walking back toward his room.

"Don't worry, Ciel, I'll take a bath," he chuckled. "I hate how there's always a smell, too."

He put the child in his crib and then disappeared into the bathroom. He emerged half an hour later, wearing only a towel around his waist. He then picked Ciel up again and held him to his chest.

"Is the smell gone now?" he asked teasingly. When the infant's nosed twitched in response, he sighed.

"Fine, I'll air the room out."

**XxxxxxX**

He giggled as Sebastian waved the red object in front of his face. Whenever he tried to grab it, Sebastian would teasingly dangle it just out of his reach.

"You're always so greedy for new games," his brother cooed. "But I suppose that I am as well."

He finally let the boy seize the object. He held it up to his face to examine it more closely. He then started poking it harshly.

"How destructive you are," Sebastian chuckled. "I see that you like to torture your prisoners."

When he couldn't figure out what the object was, he held it out inquisitively.

His brother took the object back and held it up to the light. "This is the heart of a human," he explained. "A human who pretended to be holy but was really quite wicked. Our soldiers like to steal souls from the circles and bring them back here for play and consumption. I requested that they save this for you. I trust you like it?" He handed the organ back to the small child, who happily tossed it up and down like a ball.

**XxxxxxxX**

He managed to take a few small steps before falling to his knees. He was beginning to get frustrated. No matter how much he tried to stay upright, his small legs just wouldn't support him. A few cuts and scrapes now decorated his knees.

"It's alright," he nanny comforted. "It will take some practice before you get the hang of it."

She grabbed his hands and stood him back on his feet. He managed to take ten steps before tumbling over, causing him to burst into angry sobs. Suddenly, he was scooped up and held tightly to someone.

"What's going on here?" Sebastian demanded(of course it was him). "Why is he crying?"

"Oh, my lord, I was trying to teach the younger prince to walk," the nanny explained. "Although it seems he's having some trouble with it."

"What are you doing, just picking him up and telling him to go? And on stone pavement, no less?" Sebastian asked, eyebrow raised. "You may leave now. I think that I can do a more sufficient job here."

"Yes, my lord," she replied. She then quickly left.

Sebastian carried him over to some soft sand that was nearby. He took hold of the boy's hands and stood him up.

"Let's take this slow, Ciel," he said. The older prince slowly walked his brother around the circle of sand until the child felt his legs getting stronger and stabler.

"Do you want to try on your own now?" Sebastian asked.

He nodded and took his hands out of the larger ones that held him. Making sure to concentrate, he slowly walked from one side of the circle and then back to Sebastian.

Sebastian smiled and picked him up. "Good boy!" he said to the now cheery child. The boy then let out a happy squeal as he was tossed in the air. But he wasn't afraid, for he knew his brother would catch him. Sebastian would always catch him.

**XxxxxxX**

"Come on, Ciel, you can do this," Sebastian coaxed. "Say 'brother'!"

"B-b-bwudder," he mumbled.

"No, no, Ciel, say it right," Sebastian scolded. They had been at this for almost an hour.

He pursed his lips and concentrated. He needed to remember to move his lips the way Sebastian had showed him. "B-brother," he finally said.

Sebastian beamed. "Very good! Now say it again for me."

"Brother! Brother!"

**XxxxxxX**

"Oh, little brother, stop pouting," Sebastian said exasperatedly.

He made an angry noise and tried to bury himself deeper in his pillow. He wanted his brother to know how upset he was.

A hand started stroking his back. "Ciel, I know that you're upset that I sent your nanny away, but it was for the best. You don't need her anymore. I'm perfectly capable of looking after you myself."

He didn't care what Sebastian said. His nanny had been there his entire life. He didn't want her to leave! And she had looked so sad when Sebastian dismissed her. She even tried to give him one last pat on the head, but the older prince had growled at her when she tried.

When he tried to swipe the hand on his back away, Sebastian growled and pink him up by the armpits. He was held up so that he was on eye-level with his brother.

"Ciel, you need to learn and accept the fact that I know what's best for you," he said sternly. "When I make a decision for you, you should obey me gracefully. I deserve that kind of respect as your older brother and guardian. Do you understand me?"

He nodded in defeat.

**XxxxxxX**

"My prince, we need you right away!" one of the soldiers told Sebastian.

"What is it?" his brother asked. They were sitting on a bench outside. He picked Ciel up and held him tightly.

"Your father's army is moving west. Please come to the planning room so that you can tell us what you want done," he explained.

"Alright, let's go," Sebastian said. He stood up, still holding Ciel, and started to walk back inside.

"Er, my lord, do you want for me to call someone to watch the young prince?" the soldier asked nervously.

"What? No! Why would I want that? My brother is mine. I can take him wherever I please," Sebastian replied angrily.

"But should he really be-" the soldier started before he was cut off.

"Enough!" his brother snapped. "He's staying with me and that's final! Now go on ahead. I'll be there in a few minutes."

"Yes, my lord!" the soldier said before scurrying off.

They just stared after him for a few moments. Sebastian then repositioned him so that he was being cradled, something that Sebastian hadn't done since he learned how to walk. The older demon just rocked him while giving him a loving look.

"You're mine, aren't you, Ciel?" his brother cooed. "You're all mine."

"Yes, brother," he replied, for he felt that's what Sebastian wanted him to say.

"That's right," Sebastian cooed before kissing his forehead.

**XxxxxxxX**

He held his brother's hand tightly as they walked on the hot ground. He stared in awe as their lower subjects tortured some foreign looking beings.

"What are those, Sebastian?" he asked.

"Those are human souls," Sebastian said. "If they were sinners in their lifetime, their souls are sent here for us to torture, as you can see."

"They look pathetic," he commented as he watched one trying to run from a demon.

"Yes, little one," Sebastian agreed. "Yes, they are."

**XxxxxxX**

"Normally you would be taught by a tutor," Sebastian said as he placed a few books in front of the boy "but since there are none here, I will teach you myself. You should be grateful to our army, for without them I wouldn't have time to do this. They have been working very hard for these past few years."

He looked at the books with distaste. "Why do I have to be taught anything?" he whined. "It sounds boring."

"It depends on your attitude toward it," Sebastian chuckled. "And for your information, as a prince, you need to have the best education as possible. Only nobles are entitled to one, so as a high up noble you need to be smarter than them. Now, I believe I'll start by teaching you to read and write in our language. I also believe that the humans are now speaking Latin in abundance, so we'll move onto that next. And you're also in sore need of an etiquette lesson-"

He stifled a groan.

**XxxxxxX**

"Happy two hundred and fiftieth birthday, Ciel!" Sebastian cheered.

"Thank you, brother!" he replied happily.

Though he never gave much thought to his birthdays, his brother always found a way to make him feel special. This time he was handed a vial with a golden soul that had black swirls.

"Who did this belong to, brother," he asked. Somehow knowing its back story always made the soul taste better.

"This belonged to someone who helped design and build the Lincoln Cathedral in the human world a few years back," Sebastian informed him. "Yet again, this man's heart was filled with vice. It should be delicious."

And indeed it was.

**XxxxxxX**

"Ciel, you spelled this wrong again!" Sebastian scolded.

"How?" he demanded. He could have sworn it was perfectly enough.

"You said this phrase means 'I want to go in' when it actually means 'I want entrance'."

He didn't see what the big deal was. Sebastian said that hardly anyone spoke Frankish anymore!

His brother smirked and lifted the steel rod he was holding. "Now, hold out your hands," he said pleasantly.

He did so and braced himself for the pain. Sebastian always made sure that he felt it.

Later, when he was rubbing his hands, Sebastian gave him more work.

"I want you to correctly translate this and then copy it one hundred times," his brother instructed. "I will not have you slacking off!"

He really hated Sebastian at times like these.

**XxxxxxX**

"Brother, what is that?" he asked.

Sebastian was holding a strange wooden object in his hand. In the other he held a something that looked like a stick.

"This is what the humans are calling a 'fiddle'," he explained. "You use it to make music. Would you like a demonstration?"

He eagerly nodded. It was always nice to hear Sebastian play any instrument. And this time was no exception. Sebastian could play this fiddle like a pro. He sat and listened intently until the tune was over.

"Do you like this instrument, Ciel?" the older demon asked. "I myself quite like it. It's so...enchanting."

"Yes, Sebastian, I think it's wonderful," he replied.

"I'm glad you do, because I'm going to teach you how to play this. We haven't had much luck with the other instruments, but I feel confident about this one," Sebastian said proudly.

He inwardly sighed. Sebastian could turn anything into a lesson.

**XxxxxxxX**

He was breathing heavily. In all his life he had never felt so scared and vulnerable. He was going to-

"Ciel? Ciel, wake up!" a voice called.

He opened his eyes and sat up in his bed. The sheets were wrapped around his legs and he was covered in sweat. Sebastian, who's own bed was a few feet away, was giving him a concerned look.

"Did you have a nightmare?" his brother asked.

He nodded and went over to the other's bed. He then crawled onto Sebastian's lap. He felt safer in Sebastian's long arms.

"What did you dream about?" the elder asked him while running a hand through his hair.

He grimaced and wrapped his arms around Sebastian's torso. "I'm not really sure what was going on," he whispered. "All I know is that I was in some sort of trouble and you weren't there for me."

Sebastian repositioned then so that they were both lying down and facing each other. He clasped the boy to him tightly. "Oh, Ciel," he soothed "I'm always going to be here for you. I'll never let anything harm you or let someone take you away from me. You do trust me, don't you?"

He moved up to kiss the elder's cheek. "Yes Sebastian," he breathed "I'll always trust you."

**XxxxxxxX**

"My lord, do you want to play a game?" a boy asked him.

He was sitting by a small fountain. His father's army was apparently getting too close for comfort, so Sebastian had to leave quickly. He must have been really distracted, for he simply told the child to sit there and wait for him. And he had been waiting – for four hours. It had been silent until this little soldier's child had approached him with a box.

The child wasn't big, probably at least fifty years younger than him. So Ciel didn't see him as a threat. And though he normally didn't interact well with others, he was bored enough to do so now.

"What kind of game?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

The boy smiled eagerly and opened the box. He pulled out a small wooden board that had many squares drawn on the top. Next he pulled out a variety and small wooden figures and lined them up on either sides of the board.

"This is a human game call 'shatranj'," the boy explained. "You play by using the pieces to capture the other player's king." he them went on to explain the rules in detail.

"I must say, this sounds like fun," he commented. "I hope you don't mind if I make the first move?" 

"Of course not, my lord!" the boy replied, looking ecstatic that the elusive prince was actually playing with him.

After a few hours of playing(with him only losing twice in the beginning), Sebastian arrived.

"What are you doing?" the older demon asked, looking curious.

"I'm playing a new game," he informed. He then moved one of his pieces. "And I believe that I just won again."

The boy, who had bowed his head when Sebastian arrived, looked at the board. "Ah!" he exclaimed. "That's got to be the hundredth time!"

"One hundredth and twentieth, to be precise," he smirked.

He then let out a small noise as he was suddenly yanked to his feet. Sebastian than seized his wrist and began turn him away from his companion.

"It's time to leave," his brother told him. He then turned to the other boy. "I believe it's time you returned to your home."

"Y-yes, my lord, right away!" the boy stammered.

Sebastian quickly led him away. "Little brother, I would really prefer it if you didn't talk to anyone when I'm not around," he instructed. "You never know who you can trust these days."

He nodded silently. He was having fun back there...

"Would you like it if I got you that game?" Sebastian suddenly asked. "i could tell that you liked it."

"Yes, brother, that game is very fun!" he said, now cheerful again.

**XxxxxxX**

"Sebastian, what exactly is...that?" he asked.

His brother was holding a small furry creature that was purring in his arms. With its soft fur, triangular ears, tail, and squishy paws, it was unlike the other creatures in their realm.

"This is an animal from the human realm," Sebastian said. "It's called a 'cat'. I find them rather agreeable. Why don't you hold her?"

He he held the animal out, it suddenly hissed and lashed out at the boy.

"Oh my!" the elder exclaimed. "She must not like you very much. I'll have to keep in a different room.

He could have sworn the creature gave him a smug look.

**XxxxxX**

"Ciel, I thought I told you to study your French some more!" Sebastian scolded.

He looked up from the scrolls he was going over. "You also told me to practice my fiddle, make some sketches of the fourth circle, study wars our people caused humans to have, and translate a few Latin poems. Which do you want done first?" he asked, annoyance clear in his voice.

"Don't you take that tone with me!" Sebastian snapped. "You know better than that."

"I wouldn't be taking this tone if you weren't so frustrating!" he snapped back. But as soon as he did, he regretted it. Sebastian grabbed him by the ear and pulled him so that he was bent over the larger's lap. He quickly received a few hard smacks to his behind. Sebastian then sat him upright.

"Ciel, I understand that you get frustrated, but you must never raise your voice at me," Sebastian instructed. "If I'm giving you too much work at once, than you must tell me."

"Yes, Sebastian," he said.

"Good," his brother replied. He then held up a book. "Now, let's go over that French!"

**XxxxxxxX**

"Little brother, I require your assistance in a special task," Sebastian said to him one morning.

"What is it, brother?" he asked. He was surprised, for Sebastian had never asked for his help before.

Sebastian eagerly took his hands and squeezed them. "Ciel, we've finally got our father cornered! This could be the right moment to get rid of him and take the throne!" he said excitedly.

"That's wonderful!" he said. "But what did you need my help with?"

Sebastian smiled and stroked his face. "I need you to lend me some of your power," his brother explained. "With it, I'm sure to defeat that old man."

He smiled and put a hand on Sebastian's shoulder. "Of course, brother, whatever you need," he said.

Sebastian gently pried his sealed eye open and put the seal on his hand against it. He gasped as his eye glared with pain, but Sebastian held his head still and shushed him. When Sebastian finally moved his hand away, he fell into the elder's arms. He felt like the life had been drained out of him. Sebastian picked him up and tucked him into his bed.

"Go to sleep now, Ciel," he cooed. "When you wake, I'll have returned a victor."

He nodded and then let darkness overcome him.

**XxxxxxX**

He gripped his brother's hand tightly as they approached the large castle. He was feeling very apprehensive. After all, this was he would have grown up under different circumstances. And although Sebastian was very familiar with the place, he knew nothing of it.

"It's alright, Ciel," Sebastian said affectionately. "You'll soon get used to this place. I'll even let you have your own room. We're going to have a happy life inside of this castle for many years, I promise."

"That sounds nice," he replied. He looked forward to living here with Sebastian.

**XxxxxxxX**

"_For every few memories the prince gets, a memory of his human life will be erased."_

**XxxxxxxxX**

**A/N: You guys still there? I hope you all haven't come down with diabetes by now. Btw, shatranj is a very early form of chess that was invented in Persia. Next chapter will be the repercussions of chp. 25. OOOoooOOOooohhhh.**

**Review! **


	28. Unfamiliar

**Disclaimer: ****我不知道自己的东西**

**A/N: Hiyaz! Thanks again for the reviews and faves, guys. Always nice to know that people like this. I don't have much to say this time, so to the story we go!**

**XxxxxxX**

The first thing he realized when he woke up was that he was in great pain. It felt like someone had thrown him into the circles with the humans. He wanted to call for his brother, but he found it too hard to open his mouth. It took him a few moments just to open eyes.

He looked around him in shock. He didn't recognize this room at all! It didn't look anything like his room at the fortress or the castle. It was far too small and not as nicely decorated. The bed he was in wasn't as comfortable as his one in the castle. Also, the air was far too _cool_. He definitely wasn't home. He had the feeling that he wasn't anywhere near his home.

He closed his eyes and tried to concentrate. What was the last thing he remembered? They...they were in the castle, he knew that. Something about Sebastian... ah, it was his brother's coronation! But then what happened? He clutched his head as memories suddenly came flooding back to him. He had ran off with that damned girl and fell into the clutches of those people wearing cloaks. Them chanting something was the last thing he remembered.

But where was he now? Did that group send him here? And how long had he been asleep? Surely his brother was frantic with worry! He must be turning the entire kingdom upside down looking for him! He needed to find a way back to Sebastian right away. He would probably be punished for running off like that, but he didn't care as long as he got back home. He scoffed at himself for ever thinking he wanted time alone. Right now all he wanted was to be held in his brother's protective arms.

He decided to try and call Sebastian through their link. That was always the fastest way to reach him. But when he tried to open the link, nothing happened. He tried repeatedly to open it for the next ten minutes, but his efforts were in vain. For the first time since he woke up, he felt true desperation. Not only was he stuck in a strange place, but he had no way of getting help. It almost brought him to tears, but he told himself that he had to stay strong. He had to act like the proud prince that he was.

The door opened and an elderly looking man walked in. He had slicked back gray hair, dark clothing, and wore a monocle over his left eye. He was pushing a cart that held a large bowl and some cloths. Was he one of the group members? No, he was definitely human. But why was a human there?

The man quickly went to his bedside. "Young master!" he exclaimed. "Thank goodness that you're awake! The doctor said that you wouldn't regain consciousness for another few days!"

He was more confused than ever. Why was this human calling him "master"? And when did a physician see him? Maybe now he could get some answers. He sensed no threat from this man.

"W-where am I?" he asked quietly.

The man seemed surprised at his question. "Young master, you're in your bedroom. Though I suppose that you should be disoriented, giving the condition we found you in."

Did this man find him after that group cast their spell? "What happened to me?" he asked.

"I'm afraid that I don't know, my lord," the man replied. "Yesterday morning, we found you on the floor, covered in bruises and blood. Though I must say, the worst of your wounds are nearly gone."

With the man's assistance, he sat up and looked at himself. A plethora of small bruises and cuts decorated his hands and arms. He pulled the covers off his legs so he could examine them also. He blanched when he saw that they were also wounded. He had a feeling that his face was in much the same condition. Who could have done this to him? Whoever they were, they were going to have to answer to Sebastian.

"Do you remember what happened, sir?" the man asked.

"No," he answered simply.

"Well, I'm sure that Lady Elizabeth will be most pleased to hear that you're awake, don't you agree?" the man asked with a smile.

He couldn't take much more of this. "Who is that?" he demanded.

The man looked shocked at this. "Young master, you mean to say that you've forgotten Lady Elizabeth, you're fiancée?" he gasped.

"No, I don't know who she is!" he finally snapped. "I don't know who you are, either! I don't even know where the hell I am!"

The man was looking more and more distressed. "My lord, have you forgotten _everything_?" he asked quietly.

"I haven't _forgotten_ anything," he replied. "I've never met you before in my life."

The man just gaped at him for a moment before composing himself. He then bowed at the waist. "Forgive me for upsetting you, my lord," he said. "I am Tanaka, your loyal butler. I have served you your entire life, as I did your father. Since I can presume that your memory is completely gone, I will remind you that you are Ciel Phantomhive, the Earl of Phantomhive and the Queen's Watch Dog."

"Phantomhive?" he whispered. The man had gotten part of his name right, at least.

"My lord, if you will excuse me, I will call a doctor for you," the man said. "I will also call some of your companions. Maybe they can help jolt your memory. Also, here is today's newspaper. You might want to read it while you wait." He bowed again before leaving the poor boy.

He hesitantly picked up the stiff pile of paper the man left. He had never seen something like this before. It had "The Times" printed on the top. Was this some sort of history book? Skimming over the text, he saw that this was printed in London. But wasn't that a human city? When he located the date on the paper, he gasped. It said June 6, 1888! When he last checked, it was 1348! Did the group send him over five hundred years into the future? If that was the case, has his brother been searching for him that long? What if he had already given up his search?

He laid back down and fought back the tears gathering in his eyes. What was he going to do?

"Sebastian," he whispered longingly.

**XxxxxxX**

"So, the boy's back with the humans, is he?" a white haired man asked.

"Yes," a yellow eyed female replied. "My partner and I personally helped him get there."

"I wonder how long it will be before your king realizes this," the man mused. "This plan of yours will only keep him distracted for so long."

"I know," the girl replied. " He hasn't spoken to me in a few days, so I don't know how much he's figured out. But hopefully he won't find his brother before I can get my revenge."

"This is why I hate working with you demons," the man suddenly spat. "You're always out for your own personal gain."

"And why are you doing this, then?" she demanded.

"I'm trying to rid the world of filth and evil," he said with pride. "And the first step to that is getting rid of that accursed family. And thanks to you, I'm one step closer to that."

"Then why haven't you done it already?" she said a bit exasperatedly. "Once he's out of the way, the king won't have enough power to defeat us!"

"I have to wait for the right moment," he said soothingly. He understood why she was impatient. "You never know if something may still be guarding him."

"It's been a full month," she pointed out. "If there was something protecting him, we would have sensed it by now. I think we should strike as soon as possible."

"And what if he knows some sort of spell or strategy that could defeat me?" he suddenly wondered. "As a prince, he is probably well trained."

She waved her hand in dismissal. "Oh, please, he hardly remembers his life as a prince," she informed her companion. "And even if he did, the king babied him too much for him to know any real techniques."

"In that case, I suppose I should pay the boy a visit tonight," the man said joyfully. "Are you sure that you don't want to come?"

"No," she said. "I need to pretend I'm still looking for the poor, lost prince. Just make sure that you get the job done."

"With pleasure," he said before he took off.

She smiled happily to herself. "Once they're dead, my long task will finally be complete," she whispered. "I'll have avenged you at last, Careta, my sister."

She then departed back to where she was supposed to be.

Little did they both know, a silver eyed man had been listening to their entire conversation.

"It looks like I finally have something to report to the king," he observed.

**XxxxxxX**

The man, now known as Tanaka, had convinced him to get dressed and come out of the room he was in. It was odd, for the man had wanted to assist him in dressing, but no one except Sebastian had ever done that. He managed to dress himself in the blue outfit Tanaka gave him. The old man then led him to the house's parlor to wait for the doctor and his supposed "companions". Before the man left, he gave him something called "tea". It was nothing like he'd ever tasted before, yet he found that he liked it.

He gazed stoically out the window. It was raining, something he'd only seen a few times when Sebastian would take him to the human world for some fun. It was always a thrilling experience to stand under the pouring water. He'd never gotten wet outside of a bath or pool before. And his brother would always play with him until they wanted to return to their warm home.

He looked down at his injuries. The wounds had already shrunk twice in size since he woke up, but that wasn't fast enough for him. He quietly muttered a healing spell under his breath. He had always excelled at those, which made his brother quite happy. He watched as the wounds quickly vanished along the slight pain he felt.

He wondered if this was all some sort of hallucination or dream. Why else would he be in this strange place with people that claimed to know him? Unless they were trying to trick him. But what could they gain from that? Before he could ponder more on the subject, a short man with brown hair came into the room with Tanaka closely following him. The man wore a white coat and carried a small black bag. He assumed that this was the doctor.

The man walked up to him and bowed. "Earl, it's nice to see up and moving," he said. Although an Earl was far beneath his actual station, it would do for now.

"My lord, may I look at your injuries? I need to see how they're healing," the doctor said.

He held out his arms. "Go right ahead," he said smoothly, gleefully anticipating the man's reaction.

Indeed, the doctor looked absolutely bewildered. "My lord, there's not a scratch on you!" he exclaimed as he looked over the boy's arms and legs.

"I've always been a bit of a fast healer," he smirked, noticing the butler giving him a strange look. "Now, I believe that there's no real reason for you to be here. I apologize for wasting your time. I'm sure that Tanaka will make sure that your paid adequately." He figured that being polite could only help his situation.

"O-of course, Lord Phantomhive," the doctor stuttered. He gave the boy one more astounded look before letting the butler escort him out.

He chuckled lightly and leaned back in his seat. Like a true demon, he enjoyed toying with people. It was an art he had perfected over the years, for both his and Sebastian's entertainment. Sometimes the older demon said that he was more like an imp than a demon(only to tease him, of course. The entire kingdom knew of Sebastian's dislike of imp's). More voices appeared downstairs. He used his keen hearing to eavesdrop.

"Lady Elizabeth, prince Soma, and Agni," he heard Tanaka greet. "It's so good of you to come."

"How's Ciel?" a high-pitched voice asked. It made him wince, it was so shrill and unpleasant.

"I'm afraid the young master has gotten worse," the butler said grimly. "He seems to have forgotten everything about his life." He snorted at this. He remembered his life perfectly.

The annoying voice let out a small cry. He snorted in response.

"May I asked why you have called us here?" another voice asked. It sounded different from the others. "If Lord Ciel is so ill, what can we do to help? Shouldn't he be seeing some sort of doctor?"

"I'm hoping that you, young master's closest companions, can help him regain some memories," Tanaka explained. "But please remember how easily he can be angered. Be patient with him."

"Alright, anything that can make my little brother better," another voice said. It sounded like the other foreign voice, but more annoying. And why the hell was the voice calling him "little brother"? The only older brother that he had was Sebastian!

He listened as they calmly and quietly walked toward the room he was in. So he was surprised when the door suddenly burst open and a young girl with yellow hair came sprinting at him. He would have dodged and let her fall to the ground, but something told him not to. She all but jumped onto his lap and wrapped her arms around him tightly.

"Oh, Ciel!" she sobbed. She looked up at him with tear filled green eyes.

Her eyes reminded him of another green eyed girl, one with gray hair and a purple cloak. He was suddenly filled with rage and pushed the girl off him. Although she was clearly human, her mere presence was reminding him of bad things. She looked up at him from the floor, shocked.

"Ciel!" another voice cried in surprise.

He looked up to see two dark skinned men. One was wearing a turban and green outfit. His smaller counterpart had purple hair and sported a blue outfit. The small one ran up to him in the same fashion as the girl. This time, he did dodge and laughed quietly as the boy face planted on the floor.

After the entire group came to him, he scowled. "Who do you people think you are, touching me so freely?" he demanded. If he had been home, they would have all been executed by now.

"Ciel," the girl sobbed "have you really forgotten us?"

"I can't forget what never happened," he said firmly. "I demand you people tell me who you are and why you have brought me here! And stop trying to tell stories about how we know each other.

To his surprise, the girl walked toward him with a determined look on her face. She pulled out a silver locket out of the bag she was carrying.

"You accidentally left this with me when I visited you a few days ago," she said confidentially. "I took the liberty of getting it polished. I gave this to you as a birthday gift last year."

She opened the locket and pointed to the picture inside. It made him gasp in shock. He was in the picture with the girl! But he looked much younger, and...human. He suddenly realized that he hadn't looked in a mirror since he'd gotten there. He turned the locket over to see his reflection in the shiny surface. His mouth opened in horror. His hair was lighter, his teeth were dull, his skin was darker, and he suddenly noticed that his nails were white and flat.

He collapsed back in his hair. "This has to be some sort of trick," he breathed.

"No, young master, look here," Tanaka said. He handed the boy a few picture frames.

In the first one was a man and woman. He didn't recognize them, but the man had his hair color and the woman had his eyes and face. The next one shocked him, for it was once again a younger looking him. And the third had all three of them together.

"What is going on?" he whispered.

**XxxxxX**

He collapsed on his temporary bed. The group of strange people spent the rest of the day telling him about a life and family he had no recollection of. They had to be playing some sort of trick on him, they just had to be. There was no other explanation for all this. He could only hope that Sebastian found him soon.

He was so deep in his thoughts that he never noticed the figure staring at him from the window.

**XxxxxX**

**A/N: So, Ciel has lost his human memories, which was what most of you guys had already guessed. I've been waiting to write this chapter since chp. 13, and now I've finally done it! And yes, I do like to leave you guys with cliffhangers. See ya guys, Saturday!**

**Review!**


	29. Taken

**Disclaimer: Jeg eier ikke noe**

**A/N: Hello again, guys. Thanks again for the favs and reviews. I've been listening to Voltaire nonstop all week, and I have no plans to stop. Also, last night I thought of the perfect way to end the story. None of you will ever see it coming. Ahahahaha! On to the story!**

**XxxxxxX**

"Please, there is something that I must tell the king!" Phygra pleaded to the guard stationed outside the king's bedchamber. He had come there immediately after he heard his partner's converstion. "It is of the utmost importance!"

"His Majesty has requested that he be left alone," the guard replied firmly. "Besides, he looked very angry when he went in there yesterday, so you should probably wait until he calms down."

"But it's about his brother!" Phygra insisted. "He's in grave danger!"

"Look," the guard said. "I already told you that-"

He was interrupted by the door suddenly opening. The two guards immediately bowed. Phygra shivered, for he could feel dread and coldness leaking from the room. He was almost afraid to look up, but he knew that he had to tell the king what he knew.

"You may rise," a hostile, and somewhat threatening, voice told them.

Phygra almost flinched when he saw his king. The monarch was only sticking his head through the doorway and one clawed hand was clutching the side of it. His eyes were entirely red and his mouth was set in a scowl. Any human who saw him would have died of fright.

"Phygra," he said emotionlessly "did you have something you wished to share with me?"

The water demon quickly composed himself. "Yes, Your Majesty, I do!" he said urgently. "I have reason to believe your brother is in danger."

To his surprise, the king merely snorted. "I think I'm at the point to where I just don't care," he growled.

"But, Your Majesty," Phygra gasped "I also have reason to believe our kingdom is in danger, too. Please, I beg you, hear me out."

The monarch stared at him for a long moment. "Fine, come in," he said before he vanished back into the darkness of his room.

Phygra took a deep, calming breath before following his king. Sebastian had never allowed anyone into his room before, so he couldn't help but feel that he was being shown a great honor. It was dark in the room, even for his eyes. It was also impossibly cold – perhaps even the coldest place in the realm. The king snapped his fingers and two chairs appeared next to them. They seemed to be made of shadows and were positioned so that they were facing each other. The king sat down in one and gestured for the guard to sit in the other.

"So" the king drawled, sounding bored "what is so urgent that you insisted on seeing me?"

Phygra didn't know what to make of his king's attitude. Usually he was frantic when it came to his younger sibling's safety. "My lord, it's about your brother-" he repeated.

"Yes, yes, what about my dear, darling brother?" the royal replied.

"Uh, my lord, I believe I know where he is-" he started.

"He's in the human world, right?" the king replied with clear irritation in his voice.

"Yes, Your Majesty," the guard gasped. "But if you know where he is, then why haven't you brought him back yet? That is, if you don't mind me asking."

The monarch let out a mirthless laugh. "I'm afraid that he and I are having a conflict of interests," he explained. "Apparently, he would rather be living amongst lowly humans than with his own brother. So I told him that if he wanted to be there so much, than he could stay there. He was always so arrogant, you see. I do hope that he can survive on his own."

"But, Your Majesty, you must go back to him," the guard pleaded. "As I said, he's in danger!"

"Yes, you keep going on about some sort of 'danger'," the king said. "Why don't you explain to me what 'danger' he could possibly be in? It's not like he can catch some sort of disease or die by human hands."

"Well, it's about Careti-," he tried to say.

"Oh, yes, _her_," the king said in a false cheery voice. "Would you happen to aware of her current whereabouts? It seems her and Cornelius are in need of punishment. Unlike you, they would rather serve the interest of my bratty brother than me."

"My lord?" Phygra asked. Did the king already know of Careti's plan?

"It seems that they're the ones who sent him back to his old human home," the king explained. "Really, I know that it's easy to become attached to him, but to betray me like this"?

"I'm afraid that there's more to it than that," Phygra said quietly. There was no telling how the king would react to his news.

"Oh?" the royal simply said, raising an eyebrow.

"We were on duty when she made an excuse to go somewhere," he said. "Something about her seemed...off, so I followed her some place in the human world. 'Big Ben', I believe it's called? She met up with an _angel_ of all things!"

"An angel?" the king asked, alarmed.

"Yes, my lord! They talked about a plan they had. Oh, my lord, you must hurry to the prince's side. The angel is planning on attacking him tonight! And Careti is giving him information. She also said something about avenging her sister."

The king sat in shocked silence for a while. Then he suddenly sprung up and seized the guard by his collar. "Are you absolutely certain of this?" he demanded. "So help me if you're lying-"

"My lord," the guard choked out "you can always check my memories to see if I speak the truth."

The king did so. Than a slow, sinister smile spread across his lips. "It seems like you and I are taking a little trip," he said.

**XxxxxxxX**

It didn't take long for Ciel to notice that something was wrong. It started with a smell. It was strong, and smelled _clean,_ for lack of a better word. It burned his nose and made him feel a bit ill. It seemed somewhat familiar but he just couldn't figure out what it was.

He quickly scanned the room. He couldn't see anything out of the ordinary, but he sure as hell could feel something. He didn't know what it was, but he didn't like it one bit. Once again, he wished that his brother was there. Sebastian would surely know what to do. He started to build up in energy in case he needed to fight.

"Whoever is there, I demand you show yourself!" he said loudly. He got out of bed and took a defensive stance.

"Oh, so you can sense my presence?" an amused voice said.

The smell suddenly intensified. He had the urge to plug his nose, but he knew this was not the time to show weakness. Though he did jump when his window suddenly busted. In through it came a man dressed in a white suit. He had white hair and violet eyes. But what really got the boy's attention was the large white wings coming out of the man's back. The man smirked at him and landed a few feet in front of him.

"Good day, little prince," the man greeted pleasantly.

"An angel," he stated with disdain. "What business do you have with me?"

"My, how uncivil you demons can be!" the man laughed. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Ashe and I have come here to destroy you."

"Destroy me?" he scoffed. "I'll have you know that I'm a high-ranking demon. What makes you think that you can dispose of me so easily?"

"I don't think it should be too hard," the man, now known as Ashe, replied, his voice condescending. "After all, you're all alone here. You don't have anyone to protect you. And a little birdie told me that you don't have any memory of anyways to defeat me."

To the angel's shock, he merely smirked. "And how are you so sure of that?" he asked.

He quickly muttered a spell and used it to attack the angel. The man screamed at the tips of his wings suddenly caught fire and were reduced to char.

"You insolent brat!" Ashe screamed at him. He then drew his sword from the holder on his hip. "I have no patience for your little games, demon. I shall purify you if it's the last thing I do!"

"I might take you up on that offer," he said teasingly. The angel really wasn't putting up much of a fight.

Ashe let out a battle cry and lunged at him with the sword. He easily dodged at managed to kick his opponent in the shin. While Ashe was distracted by that, he managed to unsheathe his claws and dig them into the man's back. Ashe howled in pain and tried to stab him again. Faster than any human could see, he jumped onto the angel's front side and charred his face and neck.

To his surprise, the angel smirked and managed to throw him into a wall. He quickly recovered and took his defensive stance again. They stared hard and slowly began to circle each other. Sebastian hadn't taught him many spells to fight angels, but he knew enough. He prepared to use another. He just needed to keep Ashe distracted for a few moments. He focused on keeping all of the holy being in his eyesight, sword and all. 

"I must say that I'm surprised you managed to harm me," the angel said. "I thought you would be helpless as a baby."

"And why is that?" he asked carefully, never letting his guard down.

"As I said earlier, I was told that you've forgotten about your life as a prince," Ashe replied. "I guess that wretched king managed to teach you a few things."

"That does it, why is everyone saying that I've forgotten something?" he demanded. "I remember all of my four hundred years with perfect clarity! It was bad enough that I woke up surrounded by ignorant humans saying that I've for gotten them, but now I have a blasted angel telling me that I've forgotten my own life! Are you working with that accursed group? If so, I demand you tell me how to return home!"

The angel actually looked shocked. "You mean that you've forgotten your life here but remember your old one?" he asked. But then he got a cunning look in his eyes and smiled. "Maybe this can work to my advantage."

"What are you talking about?" he demanded. "When I tell my brother about this-"

"I'm going to kill you," a smooth voice finished.

Suddenly an unseen force sent Ashe into a wall and held him there. Ciel gasped and turned in the direction of the voice. To his infinite joy, there stood his brother! He was holding his hand out toward the angel, so the boy assumed that Sebastian was holding him there. Beside the older royal was another demon who was dressed like a guard.

"Brother!" he exclaimed. He then ran into the elder's arms and wrapped his arms around him. But to his surprise, He didn't receive a hug back. He looked up into Sebastian's face. His brother was looking at him in shock.

"Ciel?" he whispered. "Do you really remember everything now?"

"Sebastian, what do you mean?" he asked a bit desperately. "I'm so confused! I don't know where I am and I'm surrounded by humans and everyone keeps saying I've forgotten something. Please, just take me home! I'm sorry for running off and I'll never do it again!"

"Oh, little brother," Sebastian sighed happily.

He lifted his arms to embrace the younger, but before he could something pushed him back. Ciel looked on in shock as some strange white light was holding his brother and the guard down. Before he could go to them, he was picked up and held so that he was immobile.

"You're coming with me, little demon," Ashe said teasingly. "Tell your brother goodbye!"

"Ciel!" Sebastian yelled and tried to reach for him.

"Sebastian, help me!" he pleaded as the angel flew into a pure white portal.

As it shut, it left the room, and the demons in it, in complete darkness.

**XxxxxxX**

**A/N: I'm not really happy with this chapter. But I promise that the next one will be better! It will have all sorts of goodies!**

**Have any of you guys heard of the Rugrats Theory or the Ed, Edd, & Eddy Theory? I read about those today and now I'm kinda depressed.**

**Now, as much as I love reviews, would you guys please refrain from sending them between the hours of 1:00 a.m and 3:00 a.m.? My phone lets of a beeping noise whenever I get an email, and since I'm usually trying to fall asleep during those hours, it keeps me awake. Thank you!**


	30. Allies

**Disclaimer: Jien ma xejn stess**

**A/N: Hello again, friends! Yeah, I forgot about the time zone thing, so just review whenever you want. It's cool! :) We're up to chapter 30 now! Yeah! And I read the Pokemon coma theory. It got me right in the childhood. Well, let's go to the interesting part.**

**XxxxxxX**

Sebastian stared at the spot that his younger brother occupied just moments ago. He truly had the luck of the damned. He learns that his Ciel finally regained all the memories of his previous life, and then the boy gets snatched away by an angel. And he couldn't do anything but stare after them helplessly. He could feel dark energy start to pool around him. He was never able to cope with defeat.

He suddenly heard many footsteps coming toward the room they were in. It would simply not do for those fools to see two angry demons in their master's bedchamber.

"Quick," he said to Phygra "look like a human!"

As the guard quickly changed his demonic features into human looking ones, the monarch did something that he never thought he would do again. He changed his regal and shocking appearance into that of an attractive human man in his mid-twenties. His now short hair was combed neatly and his eyes now looked reddish-brown. He adorned a spotless butler's uniform, complete with a silver pocket watch. He just finished pulling on his white gloves when the door opened and the room was flooded with light.

He smirked a bit when he saw the familiar, shocked faces. There were the servants, of course. He should have known that they would never abandon Ciel's household. It was quite amusing, really. They all gaped at him with their mouths hanging open. He almost wanted to summon a swarm of flies to go into their exposed throats.

He hid a grimace when he saw the rest of the group. There was that annoying blond girl who said she had a claim on his poor brother. And then there were those two damned meddling Indians. Agni he could stand, for the man was actually competent. But there were many occasions where he wanted to snap that bratty prince's neck. He despised anyone, really, who tried to get close to Ciel. At least the servants knew their place.

"Sebastian!" Bard gasped, finally overcoming his shock. "What the bloody hell are you doing here?"

"Good evening, Bardroy, everyone," he greeted. "It has been some time since I saw you last. I'm here to serve the young master, of course."

"Where _is_ the young master?" Finny asked after looking around.

"And who's he?" Mey-Rin demanded while pointing at Phygra.

"This is...Philip," he said while putting a hand on the guard's shoulder. "He has been helping me with a task the young master gave me. Now everyone, I need to to pay close attention. The young master has just been taken by one of his enemies. We must hurry to-"

"Why should we believe you?" Soma suddenly demanded.

"What?" he asked. He was, admittedly, shocked. The boy had never acted so brazen toward him before.

"Ciel told us that he had gotten rid of you!" the prince explained. "How do we know that you didn't do something to him out of spite?"

He felt irritation at both the boy and his brother. Why did Ciel have to tell them something like that? This was only going to make things harder. He glared at the boy, and felt smug as he cowered behind his butler.

"That is ridiculous," he stated. "What kind of butler would I be if I harmed my master over such a trifle?"

"Certainly not a Phantomhive butler," Tanaka answered. "If my gut instincts are worth anything, than I believe that you would never harm the young master, Sebastian. But you just said he was taken, and we must rescue him. Do you know who it was?"

"I don't know much about him," he replied through gritted teeth "but I know he's powerful. And he most likely has powerful allies. Which is why I need your lot's help."

"We'll do anything to help Ciel," Lady Elizabeth cried. "Tell us what we have to do!"

As much as he disliked the girl, he did appreciate her always wanting to protect his brother.

"And of course we'll help, yes we will!" Mey-Rin chimed in.

"Anything for the young master!" the cook and gardener chimed in.

"I think I may know where he's been taken," he said. "But we need a special way to travel there. While I prepare the arrangements, you all go and prepare for battle. I suggest that you bring all the weapons you can. And do try not to hurt yourselves in the meantime."

"Yes, Mr. Sebastian!" they all replied. Though only the servants said "mister".

If there was one thing about this group that he liked, it was that they didn't ask too many questions.

**XxxxxX**

He wasn't sure if he had ever felt this angry or helpless in his entire life. The angel had taken him to some empty building. It took him a few minutes to recognize it as a human church. It didn't feel like one, though. When he approached these in the past, they always repelled him. But the atmosphere in here was stagnant and unwelcoming. It had ceased to be a holy place. But then why would the angel bring him here?

To his surprise, there were chains attached to one wall. Ashe brought him over there and quickly secured him to the wall. He let out a pained hiss. Even though the building wasn't holy, the chains certainly were. They burned his wrist as if they were made of fire. He had a feeling that there was more pain soon to come.

"Comfortable?" Ashe asked with a smirk.

He schooled his face into a bored expression. "Why have you brought me here?" he asked in a monotone voice.

Ashe's smirk grew as he materialized a whip in his hands. He slowly began to pace back and forth in front of the boy. Ciel watched him carefully. There as something malicious in this angel.

"There are actually two reasons that I wanted to dispose of you," the man informed him. "One, of course, is that you're an impure demon. Once your gone, not only will this world become more wholesome and pure, but Sebastian will not be as powerful. And once he's out of the way, the world will be free of filth."

He almost rolled his eyes. "And you think that we're the sole reason that mortals sin? How ignorant of you," he said, still trying not to show emotion.

"No," Ashe replied simply "but you're certainly a big part of it."

"And what's this second reason, then?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I suppose I'll have to explain this to you since you've forgotten your life," the angel sighed. "To make a long story short, you were reborn as a human thirteen years ago. Your brother just recently turned you back into a demon and took you back to Hell even though you didn't remember him. And if my source is right, you had a quarrel with him and came back here. Now, I've been keeping a somewhat close eye on you, so I know that the reason you've forgotten all this is because you've finally remembered your old life."

"W-why should I believe you?" he asked quietly. He didn't want to believe what the angel was saying, but some part of him felt that it was true.

"You don't have to now, but you're going to soon enough," Ashe said with another smirk. "The second reason is that even in your human life, you're still incredibly filthy. You work – well, _worked – _for the English Queen. You did all her dirty work like catching criminals and the like. Even though that sounds noble, you did it in most impure ways. I refuse to tolerate it any longer!"

He raised the whip in front of his face. "I also happen to know that it was trauma that caused your memories to come back. Trauma caused by _pain_."

He looked shocked for a moment, but then started to laugh softly. "So you want to torture my supposed human memories back out of me?" he asked incredulously. "Why even bother?"

"Because without those memories, you're not whole," Ashe explained. "And as ridiculous as it sounds, I can't permanently dispose of you then. Besides, I always enjoy seeing the suffering of the unclean."

"An angel who revels in pain?" he asked skeptically. "Do you even have a right to those wings anymore?"

"I think it's about time I shut that mouth of yours," the angel said, suddenly annoyed.

"And you think a mere whip will hurt me?" he asked tauntingly. "I almost expected more out of you."

"Oh, this is no ordinary whip," Ashe replied. "It has been purified and the tip is made with blessed silver. I assure you that it will be quite painful."

With that, he brought the whip down on the boy's shoulder.

**XxxxxxX**

"Oi, Sebastian, where exactly are we heading? We've been walking for almost an hour now!" Bard complained.

"I have told you multiple times now that we are going to Hyde Park," he replied with some irritation. "I am going to meet an acquaintance there that will take us to the young master."

"You know, you never explained to us why we need to 'special travel' to wherever the young master is," the cook pointed out.

"And I believe I told you not to question anything I do," he replied with his close-eyed, fake smile.

Really, the lot of them hadn't stopped with their idiotic banter ever since they left the manor. He had actually been surprised when they met him at gates within ten minutes. He had just gotten done calling his acquaintance when the font door opened and they came out in a single file line.

He had never before met a group of people that could go from being ridiculous to deadly in such a short time. Bard was, of course, carrying his flamethrower on his back. Mey-Rin had her skirt hiked up to reveal a few holsters filled with guns. He knew that she was hiding a few more in her uniform. Finny carried nothing, but he had a very determined look in his eye, which they all did. They actually looked like they were half-way competent.

Tanaka and the Indians also carried nothing, but they didn't really need to. Their skills fell more to physical combat. He was especially glad for Agni's presence. He seemed the most likely to take out a supernatural enemy.

Lady Elizabeth had brought two swords. At his surprised look, she explained that she was, in fact, a skilled fencing champion. It didn't seem like her, but anything to help his brother.

He should have known that they couldn't stay serious for too long, though. For the past half hour, the gardener and maid had been trying to chat with Phygra. The guard had never been a conversationalist, and he wasn't a fan of humans. The "conversation" made him smirk in amusement.

"So where are you from, Philip?" Finny asked with wide eyes.

"Uh...somewhere near the ocean," "Philip" replied.

"Ooh, I've always wanted to go there, yes I have!" Mey-Rin exclaimed. "Are the men there as handsome as you?"

The guard only sighed in response. It went on like that.

"Mr. Sebastian, I believe the park is coming is on the upcoming right turn, is it not?" Agni asked.

"Yes, we should arrive there within five minutes," he answered.

"I can only hope that my little brother is okay," Soma said quietly. "It has been over an hour since he was taken.

He wanted to rip the brat's head off for the "little brother" remark, but he knew that this wasn't the time or place. Instead, he gritted his teeth and forced himself to reply calmly. "The young master is a survivor, I'm sure he can bear any hardship that comes his way." At least he hoped so. Ciel had never fought an angel before.

It was late at night and very dark, but thankfully a few street lanterns illuminated the park. As expected, it was completely deserted. Still, he did not wish to be seen. He led them over to an area full of trees. He was dreading this a little. He only hoped that he didn't kill his acquaintance before he fulfilled his purpose. He took out his watch and watched as the hands moved to midnight.

"Mr. Sebastian, where is this this friend of yours?" Agni asked while looking around.

"He should be here any moment now," he replied.

And indeed, he was. He appeared in a branch a few feet above the demon's head.

"Hello again, dear, sweet Bassy!"

**XxxxxxX**

**A/N: Guess whoooooo? And so, after twenty four chapters, we have the return of butler!Sebastian. Kinda weird, isn't it? I thought this chp. Would be a little bit longer, but no. Oh, well. Next chapter, they're all going to fight baddies! Yay!**

**Review, please! **


	31. Confrontation

**Disclaimer: Tôi không làm bất cứ điều gì**

**A/N: Ello, mates! Thanks again for the reviews and faves. Does anyone else hate the changes that were recently made to this site as passionately as I do? They're all just so...unnecessary. And annoying, at that. I don't like change! Ahem, well, on with the story.**

**XxxxxX**

Sebastian hid his distaste as he observed the man above him. The terribly indecent man with red hair and sharp teeth. He held an odd looking saw at his side, which the demon knew was a death scythe. The green eyes and glasses helped identify the man as a grim reaper.

"Hello, Grell," he greeted, successfully hiding his wariness.

"Bassy!" the reaper cried, causing the demon to wince.

In the blink of an eye, Grell was by his side and running a few fingers across his chest. It took every ounce of his will not to tear the offending appendage off. Perhaps later...

"It's been soooo long since we've seen each other, my love!" the red haired man gushed. "But I always knew that fate would reunite us!"

"How dare you show such disrespect to-" Phygra started, outraged.

"Quiet!" he hissed under his breath. He then forced a smile and turned to the group. "Everyone, this is Grell. He is going to help us locate the young master."

Not surprisingly, they were all giving the reaper puzzled looks. Agni and Bard were staring at his scythe cautiously.

"Hey, haven't we met you before?" the cook asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh, I really wouldn't remember," Grell said as he swept his hair back. "You humans are all the same to me."

"What do you mean by that?" Finny asked.

"Never mind that!" Sebastian finally snapped. "Grell, I need you to use your scythe to open a portal. You are familiar with the 'in between' realm, yes? We need to go there as soon as possible."

Grell hummed thoughtfully and twirled a strand of his hair around his finger. "I don't know, Bassy. That seems an awwwful long way to go just for that little brat! What's in it for me~?"

Phygra growled under his breath, but the royal wasn't too bothered. He was used to the eccentric reaper's antics. He knew what he was going to have to do. This time, he couldn't help but sigh.

"Everyone," he said to the group "I need you all to turn your backs. And do _not_ look back here until I say you can. Understood?"

At the malicious look in the butler's eye, they all quickly turned their backs and even looked at the ground. He smirked in satisfaction before reluctantly turning back to the reaper.

"Grell," he said slowly and seductively. "If you help me rescue my master, I'll make it worth your while."

Grell beamed and smirked in return. "And how do you plan on that, dear Bassy?"

He decided that it was best to get this over with. He strode up to the reaper and grasped his head in his hands. Before the flustered man had time to react, the demon pulled him forward and firmly pressed their lips together. Grell let out a squeal of delight and wrapped his arms and legs around him. Since neither needed to breathe, the kiss lasted for a few minutes. Grell then, thankfully, got off of him.

"Oh my, Bassy!" he gushed. "That was all I dreamed it would be and more!"

"So I take it that means you'll help us?" He asked, resisting the urge to wipe his mouth.

"Oh, I suppose so," Grell replied. "For that kiss, I would do anything!"

"Very good," he said. He was relieved that the reaper hadn't asked for more.

Grell quickly turned his scythe on. He held it up as far as he could, then slowly started to drag it down. A he did, the very air seemed to tear apart. When Grell finished, their was a long, white hole where he had cut.

"Alright, that should take you just where you need to go," he trilled.

"Aren't you going, too?" Sebastian asked, feigning a hurt look. "I could surely use your assistance. You don't want me to get hurt, do you?"

As expected, the red haired man eagerly said that he would join them. He inwardly sighed. This was just too easy. He always shared his brother's love of having pawns.

"Everyone, you may turn back around now," he said.

They all gasped when they saw the portal.

"Wot the bloody hell is that?" Bard demanded.

"And where did it come from?" Soma chimed.

"This is going to take us to the young master," he said simply. "Everyone please hurry through it."

"You want us to just walk into some...some..._thing_ without knowing what it is or where it leads to?" Soma demanded angrily.

He couldn't help but let out a loud growl. This brat was slowing down their progress.

"I shall go in first if you are so afraid," he said scornfully. "If any of you have any love for the young master, you will follow."

With that, he walked into the portal.

**XxxxxxX**

Ciel felt rather proud of himself. The angel had been whipping him for over two hours straight, and he had yet to show any signs of discomfort. Indeed, no whimper or cry ever left his lips. The only facial expression he made was an occasional grimace. Though on the inside, he was screaming. The blessed silver burned him badly. He was covered in cuts and burn marks.

With every strike of the whip, a vision came to his mind. After the first twenty, he assumed that they were memories. It seemed as though the angel was telling the truth after all. He had memories of caring parents, something he had never known before. And of other family. He saw flashes of a stern aunt, disapproving cousin, and a cheerful girl. The same girl who tried to talk to him the day before. He now understood why she acted so boldly toward him.

He also saw four odd people. From the way they acted, he assumed that they were servants. Not very good ones, but he felt a strange affection for them. He knew that they were loyal to him. He also saw the strange dark-skinned pair that he saw. They were a bit annoying, especially the shorter one, but they also meant no harm.

But what was most strange was the butler that frequently appeared. He was...Sebastian! But why was his brother pretending to be a butler? As time went on, he pieced together that they had a contract. Ah, his brother really would do anything for him. He almost chuckled as he saw himself throwing a pie in the elder's face.

"Though this method seems to be working, it is going far too slow," Ashe suddenly commented. "It seems as though I'm going to have to use more extreme measures."

He walked over to the old and dusty pews. After searching for a moment, he located something and brought it back over to the wounded demon. Ciel could see it was an elaborately decorated box. It had the same nose-burning smell the angel had, only more extreme.

Ashe smirked as the boy's nose wrinkled. He opened the box and pulled out a silver knife. Carved on it were ancient looking symbols. It was obviously very sharp.

"This was especially made to hurt demons," Ashe explained with a sadistic glee in his eyes. "Let's see if this gives us more results."

**XxxxxxX**

"Where are we?" Agni asked. He finally spoke what was on everyone's mind.

After they walked through the portal, they were understandably unnerved. It seemed as though they had walked into a heavy gray fog.

"I can't see anything!" Finny exclaimed. "I can barely make out you guys!"

"Sebastian, are you sure you can locate the young master here?" Tanaka asked, peering at what he assumed was the butler.

Sebastian lifted his head and sniffed the air. After a few moments, he located the familiar scent he searched for.

"I know exactly where he's at," he replied. His eyes began to glow red. "I need you all to link hands. I know a way to get there faster. If not, it could take hours."

After they all joined hands, Sebastian focused on their destined location. With a bit of effort, he managed to teleport them all there in seconds. In the midst of the fog, there sat what looked to be a run down church. He could clearly sense his brother's presence and the angel's there. His eyes narrowed as he smelled blood.

"Let's go," he said.

"Not so fast," a voice suddenly chimed.

To his surprise, a familiar figure appeared before him. A girl with gray hair and yellow eyes who was glaring at him hard.

"Careti!" Phygra cried "why are you here?"

"Oh, I've been waiting for this for a long, long time," she responded with a small smile.

"Hey, who's this broad?" Bard asked.

"Careti, what is the meaning of this?" he demanded.

"You should know quite well, _Your Majesty,_" she sneered. "But maybe she wasn't important enough for you to remember her."

"What are you talking about?" he growled. He had no time for this.

"I'm talking about someone who was very dear to me," she explained. "You see, I used to have a twin sister."

"Used to?" he echoed.

"Yes," she answered through gritted teeth. "Her name was Careta. We had a very close bond, which I'm sure you can relate to. We were identical, except that she had beautiful green eyes."

His eyes widened a bit. "She was..."

"Yes, she was the one who lead your precious brother to first death all those years ago," she confirmed. "She was always very loyal to your father. As you can imagine, she hated his treacherous sons. But now I am going to avenge her. First, by causing Ciel's second death. Next, by causing _your_ death."

To her surprise, he smirked in response. "And you think that you can take me on by yourself? Why, I even have a human back here who could serve as an even match for you. You're quite outnumbered."

It was her turn to smirk. "Who said that I was alone?" she asked teasingly.

Four more figures suddenly jumped off the roof of the church and landed at their feet.

"Cornelius," he observed coldly. "Claude and Alois...Father."

"Yes, my lord," the old demon answered. "We're what remains of your father's guard. And with him, we shall finally fulfill what we set out to do long ago. We shall see to your and the prince's deaths."

"We won't let you!" a voice rang out.

He spared a glance behind him. The group was on their guard. They glared dangerously at the demons.

"We don't know who you lot are, but we won't let you hurt Mr. Sebastian or the young master, no we won't!" Mey-Rin declared.

"Yes, you will have to go through us first!" Agni added on.

"Well, it seems that you all have some enemies," he said to his former subjects. "They shall deal with you while I retrieve Ciel."

**XxxxxX**

**A/N: Ugh, I could not focus at all when I was writing this. And the Merlin marathon on right now isn't helping. So sorry if this sucks. Btw, there's only, like, two chapters left. Sorry. It's probably a good thing because I'm tired of writing this. Next chapter, I attempt to write a battle scene and other stuff. I'm dreading it and you should, too.**

**Review, please! :)**


	32. Battle

**Disclaimer: Nie mam nic**

**A/N: Hello, friends! Thanks again for the reviews and such. Second to last chapter, yay! For all the motivation I lacked last time, this time makes up for it! So let's get to it!**

**XxxxxX**

As expected, the other demons immediately tried to thwart him. They quickly formed a circle around him, obviously not concerned about his human help.

"Though you are powerful, you can't possibly take all of us at once," Careti stated.

"Yeah, you could barely handle Claude alone the last time you fought," Alois teased.

He smiled dangerously and began to laugh. "You all seem to have forgotten something quite important. I am your _king_," he said. He could hear the humans behind him begin to whisper, but he couldn't concern himself with that at the moment. "And as king, I have certain powers over you."

"You cannot stop us from attacking you," Claude said calmly.

"Not even I could do that, as you well know," his father pointed out bitterly.

"True," he smirked "I cannot control your actions. But what I can do significantly decrease your power and add it to my own."

"What?" they all gasped in unison.

"Oh, yes, it's a little trick I picked up over the years. With Ciel gone, I had quite a bit more time on my hands. I never had the chance to use it until now," he explained.

"Not if we stop you first!" Alois cried.

The imp lunged at him, but fell to the ground halfway. The rest of them hunched over as their energy was suddenly drained from them.

Sebastian smiled sadistically as he felt power flowing into him. "I must thank you all," he taunted. "This should be just enough to defeat that angel."

Careti then tried to attack him with her strings, but Agni stopped her. The Indian had unwrapped the bandages on his right hand and used to stop her attack.

"My, my, it seems that hand of yours is more phenomenal than I thought," he commented. "Agni, you and Tanaka take on the girl. Your combined force should be able to hold her. Mey-Rin and Finny, you take the short blond one. Lady Elizabeth, you take the one with the beard. He's rather old and weak, so your swords should be able to hurt him. The rest of you take the one with spider legs. I shall take on the remaining one."

"Yes, sir!" they all replied before going to their respective opponents.

"Please hurry and save the young master, Mr. Sebastian!" Finny cried before leaving.

He nodded at the boy. "I will," he replied softly.

"Are you so sure about that?" a familiar voice asked.

He scowled at the older demon. "Well, if it isn't my darling father," he said in a fake pleasant voice. "May I ask how you came to be here? I was quite sure that you were dead."

"You did manage to kill most of me," the older demon explained. "But there was a small part of me that was left. Those four were nice enough to nurture it all these years until I was strong again. Right under your nose, I might add."

"You do realize that there's no way you can defeat me?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. "You're still not a strong as the last time we fought. I, on the other hand, am much stronger now. I'm afraid that you won't last very long."

"We'll see about that!" his father snarled.

With that, they began fighting. He had to admit, the old man still had some good moves. For awhile, he simply dodged the elder's attacks. Even though he was in a hurry, he knew he had to do this right. It was best to let the old man wear himself out first.

"You know," his father said "I'm quite surprised you turned into a _butler _ of all things. You've never been the submissive type."

"Yes," he agreed while blocking a punch "Ciel could be quite difficult at times, but I figured that this was the best way to stay close to him."

He suddenly pulled out a handful of forks at tossed them at the elder's head. Of course, they were easily dodged, but he wasn't trying to attack, merely distract. He appeared behind his father and wrapped his arms around him.

"Let's finish this, shall we?" he said calmly.

Without warning, he rammed his hand threw the elder's chest and pulled out his heart. He then set that and the body it belonged to on fire. The demon was gone for good this time, he could feel it. He took a moment to savor the knowledge before looking back to his comrades.

Lady Elizabeth seemed to be holding her own. Cornelius was extremely weakened and was using pitiful spells to hold her off. They didn't deter her for long, though. She even managed to get a few scratches on him. Not that he expected her to kill Cornelius. Just to distract him.

He almost laughed when he saw finny throw Alois up into the air. Then Mey-Rin shot him many times as he fell back down. He landed hard on the ground and stayed there for a few moments. He wobbled a bit when he finally arose, but he then charged at them and the process was repeated.

Careti was putting up a fight, but Agni and Tanaka weren't going down easily. She was becoming increasingly frustrated. Agni was blocking all of her attacks. His arm as bleeding, but he didn't seem to notice. Tanaka was retaliating with some well-aimed blows. They couldn't have hurt her much, but they were very distracting.

Seeing Bard, Grell, and Soma fight Claude was actually entertaining. Soma would hit one of the spider's limbs, automatically making the demon attack him. While he stretched out a leg, Grell used his scythe to cut it off. While that was happening, Bard turned his flamethrower on the demon.

"Well, it seems as though things are under control here," he observed. "Now, to Ciel."

**XxxxxxxX**

He gritted his teeth as hard as he could, but he still couldn't stop from whimpering. The angel was slowly dragging the knife down his side. It hurt. It hurt more than anything before in his life. It was a hundred times worse than the whip. He felt like he might die.

But, as the angel said, it was more effective. At each cut of the knife, he got much more memory back. It seemed to depend on how deep the cut was. It was was shallow or a mere scratch, he would get back a few days worth of memory. Sometimes a week's worth. If the cut was deep, he would get back months worth of memory. During one painful instance, he received a full year.

He only had thirteen years of human life, so it wouldn't take too much longer for him to remember if completely. The angel had other ideas, though.

"Though this is working much better than the whip," Ashe said while slicing his shoulder "it's still not enough. I wonder what it's going to take for your memories to come back completely."

"You won't get the chance to find out," a cold voice said.

Suddenly, Ashe was thrown into a wall. Ciel looked up to see who had saved him from further pain.

"Sebastian!" he gasped. After he spoke, he coughed up a few drops of blood.

Sebastian rushed over and held the boy's head gently. Ciel smiled slightly when he saw his brother in his butler's uniform. Though he wondered why he was in it. Maybe this was some sort of hallucination...

"Ciel!" Sebastian said a bit desperately. "Ciel, focus on me!"

"Sebas...tian?" he said weakly. "Why are you here?"

"Ciel, I'm here to get you," his brother informed him. He began to pull on the chains holding the boy.

"You can't get him down," Ashe told him. He had come back from the wall he was thrown into. "The chains won't let him go until I've finished what I brought him here for. So unless you want to hurt him..."

Sebastian looked shocked before smirking at the wounded angel. "You would underestimate a demon such as myself?"

He turned back to his younger sibling and gently kissed him. "Forgive me," he whispered before punching the boy through the stomach. His made sure to release special toxins that would cause more pain.

While Ciel writhed in pain, Sebastian turned back to the angel "Now, I believe it's time to dispose of you," he said with a grin.

Ciel couldn't focus on much beside the pain, but he did hear the angel let out an occasional scream. It made him smile happily to know that his brother was protecting him. After a few moments, the rest of his memory finally came back. As soon as it did, the chains let him go and he fell to the floor. The fall only added to his pain. The next thing he knew, he was picked up and carried a few feet. He looked up to see Sebastian, in his true form, looking at him with concern. Sebastian sat down on a pew and held the boy in his lap.

"Ciel, are you alright?" he asked.

He groaned in response and rested his head on the elder's shoulder. Sebastian started to rub his forehead, which made the made in his body start to fade. He finally felt well enough to talk.

"What happened to the angel?" he asked.

"He has been disposed of," Sebastian said with a smile. "I believe that he was fallen, so nobody should care for his absence."

He smiled. "I see," he said. "Why were you dressed as a butler? And how did you find me."

"When the angel took you, some of this realm's stale air escaped through the portal," his brother explained. "It makes sense that he would take you to neutral ground. Humans like to refer to this place as 'purgatory'."

"And my other question?" he asked. "Did you enjoy being my butler that much?"

Sebastian smiled and pinched the boy's nose. "Not quite. I had to take this form in order for those humans to accompany here."

"What humans?" he demanded. "You don't mean-"

"Yes, those annoying beings who are oh so fond of you. Oh, and Grell, too," Sebastian confirmed. "Hopefully, they're still holding their own."

"What do you mean?" he demanded. "What are they doing?"

"They're helping save you," the older demon said. "They're fighting people who wanted to kill us. Cornelius, Careti, Claude, Alois, and Father, since I'm sure you want to know who. I personally think it's foolish that they thought-"

"Wait a minute!" he cried. "You have them out there fighting _demons_? What's wrong with you, Sebastian?"

The elder frowned at him. "Do you still care so much about them, little brother?" he asked quietly. "Surely they can't still be so important to you?"

"How much he cares about them is a very important thing, Master Butler~" came a voice from beside them.

They both turned and couldn't believe what they saw.

"Undertaker!" he gasped.

Indeed, it was the strange, silver haired mortician sitting a few feet away from them. He smiled and waved at them.

"What do you mean? Why is something like that important?" Sebastian demanded.

"And how did you get here?" he asked.

The man chuckled. "Ah, you two really are brothers. You're both so _demanding_," he said. "But to explain, I'm part of a...clean-up crew, I suppose you could say. I'm here to fix this mess."

Sebastian clutched Ciel closer. "What do you mean?" he asked with narrow eyes.

That only made Undertaker laugh. "Oh, don't you fret! I'm not going to hurt you or the earl! But let me ask you something, little lord Phantomhive. How are you feeling?" he asked, actually sounding serious.

He looked at his hands thoughtfully before before answering. "I feel...odd," he said. "It's like at first there were two separate me's, and now they've been joined together."

"And with 'you' did you prefer, Earl?" Undertaker asked.

"What does it matter?" Sebastian snapped.

"Well, since you're so impatient..." Undertaker said while wagging his finger. "I probably wouldn't be here if you hadn't brought those humans here. Because now they know all about demons and both of your identities. Can't have that now, can we?"

"Than what do you propose we do?" the royal asked. "Kill them all?" He ignored Ciel's muffled cry of protest.

Undertaker began to laugh again. "Oh no, I'm just going to erase their memories!" he laughed. "But since they're all so close to the earl, it'd be a bit sad if they all just forgot him. So I'm asking you, Ciel Phantomhive, which life do you want? A demon life with your brother, or a life with those humans?"

"Of course he'll-" Sebastian started.

"Uh, uh, uh," Undertaker interrupted. "This is the boy's decision."

Ciel stared at the wall for a few minutes. He had know idea what to do. Logically, he knew it was best to go back with Sebastian. But something in him just couldn't abandon his friends.

"Why not both?" he said at last.

"What do you mean?" his companions asked in unison.

"What if I lived out the remainder of my human life. As the years pass, I can change my form to look older. After Elizabeth dies, I can return home with Sebastian," he said. "Would that be alright?

"I don't see why not," Undertaker said. "It shouldn't be hard to erase only certain parts of their memories. What do you think, butler?"

Sebastian took his brother's head in his hands and looked him in the eyes. "Are you sure, Ciel?" he asked quietly. "You know I'll miss you greatly."

He wrapped his arms around his brother. "It can't be more than fifty years or so," he soothed. "You know it will pass in the blink of an eye. Besides, you can use the time to punish those traitors."

That made the elder smirk. "True," he said. But then he sighed wearily. "You really can't just abandon those fools, can you? Fine, we shall have it your way. But I _will_ visit you as often as I can."

It was his turn to smirk. "I wouldn't expect any different," he said.

"Well, now that we have that settled," Undertaker said "let's get this show on the road!" He then pulled out an over-sized scythe with a skeleton on it. He swung it around and there was a huge flash of light.

The next thing Ciel knew, he was in his bed in the Phantomhive manor. Tanaka walked in with a tray.

"Good morning, young master," the old man greeted. "today, I've prepared Jackson's Earl Grey. I hope that is acceptable?"

He smiled at his old butler. "Yes, that sounds excellent," he replied.

**XxxxxxX**

**A/N: Well, there you guys have it. I hope it was alright. And yes, I had to throw Undertaker in there. He always brings the lulz. Next chapter is the epilogue!**

**Review!**


	33. Epilogue

**Disclaimer: ****میں خود کچھ نہیں کرت**

**A/N: Hello again, loyal viewers! It seems as though we've reached the conclusion of this epic tale *pats own back*. It's kind of sad, I know. This is the longest thing I've ever written. At first I was a little worried that no one would read this because it wasn't yaoi, but I wanted to have something that had a possessive Sebby in it without being romance. But thanks for proving me wrong! It also came from two ideas I had: Sebastian being a king and Seb and Ciel being brothers. I couldn't choose, so I just combined them. This was also partially inspired by "Pan's Labyrinth". Also, I'm so excited that the next manga chapter will be out soon. I'm going to be watching all weekend for spoilers! Let's finish this!**

**XxxxxxX**

Crawling out of the ground wasn't a necessarily hard thing to do, but it was unpleasant. Even though he didn't need to breathe, the freshly dug dirt pouring down his nose was making him choke. He was relieved when he finally made it out of the hole.

He stood and put the dirt back in its place. It wouldn't do for someone to think it had been disturbed for any reason. He then brushed the dirt off himself before quickly hiding behind a large statue of a man that was nearby. It was times like these he was glad that some of his family members had been exceptionally extravagant even in death. Indeed, he was in his family's cemetery.

His funeral had been that afternoon. It had been hard to lie perfectly still in that coffin until nighttime. Listening to his loved ones mourn him was hard to hear. It was also hard to hear his few servants and acquaintances crying over him. He always made a show of being generous to his partners and polite to the servants, so it was no wonder that they would mourn his loss. But after this, he doubted that he would ever think of them again.

He looked at the stone that marked his grave site. It had the general information: _Ciel Phantomhive, 6__th__ Earl of Phantomhive. December 14__th__, 1875 – February 3, 1938. Beloved son, father, and husband. "When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains must be the truth."_

He chuckled at that last line. He had always enjoyed the tales of "Sherlock Holmes". He especially liked that quote for it reminded him of his own work. He was glad that he hinted to the butler a few weeks ago that he wanted it on his tombstone.

His eyes wandered over to the pink marble headstone a little ways from his. It had been expensive, but he wanted to get her something lovely. She always did love those kinds of things, up till the day she drew her final breath. He frowned as he read the inscription. _Lady Elizabeth Ethel Cordelia Phantomhive. May 4, 1874 – January 1__st__, 1938. Beloved daughter, mother, and wife. "May you now be in Heaven with the rest of the angels."_

He knew for a fact that she was. He had made sure of it. Even if her husband never attended church, she was there every Sunday with a smile on her face. He never tried to corrupt her or cause her to sin. He loved her too much for that. She never knew what it was that she married.

He closed his eyes and thought of the last five decades. He tried to live his human life as best he could. He doubted he would ever get an opportunity to do this again.

After he came back from the fight with the angel, he continued to live life the same way he did for the past three years. He ran his company and went on missions from the queen. It had actually become easier. Since the servants could do their jobs adequately, he had less stress at home and could focus on his work more. And with his new powers, and no butler to annoy him, it was much easier to catch criminals in the underworld. Since he was still a "child" and did this single-handedly, people feared him more than ever.

When he was seventeen, he and Lizzie were married. It was an elaborate ceremony. Their status and her taste insisted upon it. It had been on a sunny day in June. The church was decorated in pink, green, and gold fabrics and flowers. He was wearing a new black suit. His new butler, James(Tanaka had perished of a stroke a year prior), had placed a red rose in his lapel. She had looked lovely in her white silk gown. He knew that she spent weeks trying to find the right one. Both her father and brother led her down the aisle. His uncle had smiled at him, while Edward gave him a death glare. As they exchanged vows, he could see his servants crying. At the reception, he smirked when he saw a black cat with knowing red eyes staring at him through a window.

He was nervous about the wedding night. He always thought of intimate acts as vulgar and beneath him. But now that he was expected to do it, he didn't know what to feel. Would he even be able to go through with doing such things to his sweet, innocent Lizzie? But in the end, it wasn't so bad. They were both virgins, so at first it was awkward and uncomfortable, but they eventually came to enjoy themselves. And went on to enjoy themselves for a long time.

One thing he had never thought about was children. Sebastian had told him that despite popular rumors, their species could not produce offspring with humans. So he had no reason to concern himself with the thought. Until the day he walked in on his wife crying. She explained that she was upset that she still hadn't borne any children, even after four years of marriage. She was afraid that she was barren. In an effort to make her feel better, he told her that he was to blame(and he supposed he was). He proposed that they adopt a child.

Since they were in need of an heir, they obtained a boy. He was a week old when he came to them. He was the son of a count who died before he was born and his mother had died in childbirth. His relatives were quick to take his inheritance and would have left the infant to die if he had not intervened. They named him Vincent Robert Phantomhive. He had light brown hair and blue eyes. He was always interested in the arts and could play five instruments by the time he was twenty. They made sure that we was well-educated in many fields. He was also very polite and charismatic. Ciel had taught him all about the Guard Dog business in his teens, and he proved to be quite good at it. Even though he was not of their blood, he made the perfect Phantomhive.

Three years after they got him, Lizzie confided to him that she had always wanted a daughter. And so they took in a three month old orphaned girl. Her parents were French immigrants who had died in a carriage accident. Her name was Emilie, which they changed to Emily. She was a pretty girl with strawberry blond hair and green eyes. Lizzie loved to spoil her with new dresses, accessories, and toys. But he made sure that she didn't turn into a complete brat. She always acted lady-like, but never purposely acted weak like her adopted mother used to. She was friendly and loved to paint, so she and Vincent always got along.

He was very fond of them, but he never got completely attached to them. He only got them to please his wife, after all. As they got older, they both married and children of their own. In his younger days, he was happy that the Phantomhive name would live on, but as time passed, he cared less and less. By the time he reached his mid-fifties, it was like he was an outsider looking into someone else's life. It was almost like he was reading a book and the main character shared his name.

People he knew had come and gone. Soma and Agni finally went back to India when the prince was twenty-five. He decided it was time to get married and help his family run the country. He only saw them in person twice after that, but they still occasionally exchanged letters.

He wasn't entirely sure what became of Lau, but he suspected that he finally had his comeuppance. He wasn't sorry to say that he didn't miss the man much.

The servants continued to work for him all their lives. Bard had died in a gas explosion twenty years ago. After a few days of mourning, he fired a young French chef. The household missed the burly man, but they had to admit that the food was better. After awhile, Finny and Mey-Rin had simply become too old to work. He hired replacements for them, but allowed them to remain in his house. They were at the funeral, but he doubted that they even knew what was going on.

Lizzie had died of cancer a month ago. He was sorry to see her die, but he didn't grieve her. He always knew that he would outlive her. After she was gone, he was ready to return home, but stayed to make sure that Vincent was ready to take over his position. Besides, it would have been tragic for the children to lose both their parents at the same time.

He turned and looked at his reflection in a shiny piece of metal on a nearby headstone. He had changed his looks to resemble that of an old man's. He was, of course, taller. His face was covered in wrinkles and his hair was white. He had forced himself to use a cane. He sighed and changed his form back into that of a young boy.

"I must say, advanced age does not suit you well, Ciel," a smooth voice beside him commented.

"Sebastian," he greeted as he turned to his brother.

The older demon smiled softly at him. He took the younger by the hand and started to lead him away from the graves.

"Did you enjoy yourself, little brother?" Sebastian asked casually.

"I suppose I did," he answered. "It will be something to remember every once in a while."

He stopped as he passed another pair of graves. He let go of his brother's hand and walked over to them. Though they were over fifty years old, Vincent and Rachel Phantomhive's graves were still in good condition. He briefly thought about the ten years that he had known them.

Sebastian stood behind him. "Are you going to miss this life?" he asked the younger.

Ciel turned and looked at him. "No, I don't believe I will. The only reason I stayed here was because I needed..._closure_ of some sort."

"Oh?" Sebastian asked.

"Yes," he answered. "If I hadn't, I would have always been asking myself 'what if?'. Know that I know, I can put it behind me."

"That's good to hear," Sebastian said with a grin.

He grabbed his brother's hand again. "Let's go home," he said.

"Sounds good to me," the elder replied. "Our people have missed you greatly."

"Only the people?" he asked teasingly.

"And me, as well," Sebastian replied.

As they walked toward the cemetery gates, their bodies began to slowly fade. By the time they reached the gate, they had disappeared completely. It was as if they were never there to begin with.

**XxxxxxX**

**A/N: Aaaaaaaaaaand, there you have it! I hope that ending was satisfactory. This is the fastest I've ever had a chapter done(it's Thursday as I type this.) I can finally take a break now. But I already have another story in mind, so you guys should hear from me again soon enough. Also, I would like to thank everyone who stayed with me through this and reviewed( you may want to listen to "We Are The Champions" by Queen as you read this): **

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